Heterogeneous fleet of robots for collaborative object processing

• US 9,927,815 B2
• Filed: 07/13/2017
• Issued: 03/27/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 11/10/2014
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Intrinsic Innovation LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Original Assignee: X Development LLC (Alphabet Inc.)
• Inventors: Nusser, Stefan, Straszheim, Troy, Zevenbergen, John, Rublee, Ethan
• Primary Examiner(s): Khatib, Rami
• Assistant Examiner(s): Foster, Gerrad A
• Application Number:
  US15/649,080
• Publication Number:
  US 20170308096A1
• Time in Patent Office: 257 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/137 with arrangements or automatic control means for selecting which articles are to be removed
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 57/03 from above
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 19/00 Programme-control systems
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0287 involving a plurality of land vehicles, e.g. fleet or convoy travelling traffic control systems for road vehicles G08G1/00, particularly anticollision systems G08G1/16
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0297 by controlling means in a control room
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot

Abstract

Example systems and methods may provide for a heterogeneous fleet of robotic devices for collaborative object processing in an environment, such as a warehouse. An example system includes a plurality of mobile robotic devices configured to transport one or more objects within an environment, a fixed robotic manipulator positioned within the environment that is configured to manipulate one or more objects within an area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator, and a control system. The control system may be configured to cause one or more of the plurality of mobile robotic devices to deliver at least one object to at least one location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator, and to cause the fixed robotic manipulator to distribute the at least one object to a different one or more of the plurality of mobile robotic devices for delivery to one or more other locations within the environment.

Claims

1. A system, comprising:

a fixed robotic manipulator positioned within an environment, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is configured to manipulate one or more objects within an area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;

and

a mobile robotic device that is configured to navigate to a location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator to receive an object from the fixed robotic manipulator for delivery to another location within the environment, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator and the mobile robotic device are further configured to perform a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the mobile robotic device identify one or more visual tags on each other to facilitate moving of the object by the fixed robotic manipulator onto the mobile robotic device.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator comprises a robotic arm elevated on a pedestal.

3. The system of claim 1, further comprising an autonomous fork truck that is configured to lift and transport a pallet of objects that includes the object to the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the autonomous fork truck is further configured to transport the pallet of objects to the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator by placing the pallet of objects on a ground floor within the environment before the mobile robotic device arrives within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the mobile robotic device comprises an autonomous guided vehicle that is configured to transport only the object from the pallet of objects to a target delivery location within the environment.

6. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile robotic device comprises an autonomous fork truck that is configured to transport a pallet of objects that includes the object to a target delivery location within the environment.

7. The system of claim 6, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is further configured to form the pallet of objects from a plurality of objects within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising a robotic truck loader, wherein the mobile robotic device is configured to deliver the object to the robotic truck loader for loading onto a delivery truck.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein:

the fixed robotic manipulator comprises a robotic arm elevated on a pedestal that includes a pallet-shaped bottom surface; and

the system further comprises at least one autonomous fork truck that is configured to pick up the pallet-shaped bottom surface of the pedestal to move the pedestal from one location to another location within the environment.

10. The system of claim 1, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is further configured to move the object to the mobile robotic device by picking up the object off of another mobile robotic device and directly placing the object onto the mobile robotic device.

11. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile robotic device is further configured to provide a communication signal indicating that the mobile robotic device is located at the location to receive the object after navigating to the location.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is further configured to identify the mobile robotic device located at the location based on the communication signal before moving the object onto the mobile robotic device.

13. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile robotic device is further configured to reposition itself based on the visual handshake to facilitate receiving the object from the fixed robotic manipulator.

14. The system of claim 1, wherein the mobile robotic device is further configured to select the location to minimize an amount of movement for the fixed robotic manipulator to move the object onto the mobile robotic device.

15. A method, comprising:

navigating, by a mobile robotic device, to a location within an area of reach of a fixed robotic manipulator to receive an object from the fixed robotic manipulator;

performing, by the fixed robotic manipulator and the mobile robotic device, a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the mobile robotic device identify one or more visual tags on each other to facilitate moving of the object by the fixed robotic manipulator onto the mobile robotic device; and

moving, by the fixed robotic manipulator, the object onto the mobile robotic device.

16. The method of claim 15, further comprising the mobile robotic device repositioning itself based on the visual handshake to facilitate receiving the object from the fixed robotic manipulator before the fixed robotic manipulator moves the object onto the mobile robotic device.

17. A mobile robotic device configured to:

navigate to an available location within an area of reach of a fixed robotic manipulator to receive an object from the fixed robotic manipulator for delivery to a different location within an environment;

perform a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the mobile robotic device identify one or more visual tags on each other;

reposition the mobile robotic device based on the visual handshake to facilitate receiving the object from the fixed robotic manipulator; and

receive the object from the fixed robotic manipulator for delivery to the different location within an environment.