Systems and methods for removing debris from warehouse floors

• US 10,289,111 B1
• Filed: 01/30/2017
• Issued: 05/14/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Amazon Technologies, Inc. (Amazon.com, Inc.)
• Inventors: Romano, Joseph, Wurman, Peter R., Polic, Dennis, Mansfield, Peter K., Hess, Peter Martin
• Primary Examiner(s): Butler, Rodney A
• Application Number:
  US15/418,950
• Time in Patent Office: 834 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/4066 Propulsion of the whole machine
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/04 Automatic control of the travelling movement; Automatic obstacle detection
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 2201/06 Control of the cleaning action for autonomous devices; Automatic detection of the surface condition before, during or after cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/0085 Cleaning
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0022 characterised by the communication link data switching networks in general H04L12/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0246 using a video camera in combination with image processing means
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

Robots or other machines may be used for retrieving errant objects from the floor of an automated warehouse. A system can include one or more reporting methods to alert a central control to the existence and location of an object on the warehouse floor. The central control can establish a safety zone around the object to avoid contact with normal warehouse traffic (e.g., standard warehouse robots). The system can route a cleanup robot to the location to retrieve the object. The system can include a cleanup pod comprising a convertible shelving unit with a robotic arm. The cleanup pod can have a similar form factor as shelving units used for storing inventory in the warehouse, thereby enabling standard warehouse robots to lift and transport the cleanup pod to retrieve an object.

Claims

1. A method comprising:

receiving, at a central control, a notification of an object improperly located on a floor of a workspace, the notification including at least an approximate location of the object within the workspace;

designating, with the central control, a work zone encompassing at least the approximate location;

transmitting, from the central control, the work zone to a plurality of robots operating in the workspace to route the plurality of robots proximate to the work zone;

routing a cleanup robot to the approximate location;

identifying the object on the floor of the workspace;

receiving a confirmation message from the cleanup robot that the object has been retrieved; and

routing the cleanup robot from the approximate location to a predetermined location to further process the object.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

receiving, at the central control, data associated with the object from one or more sensors on the cleanup robot;

determining, with the central control, one or more characteristics of the object from the data; and

assigning, with the central control, the predetermined location based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the object.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein determining, with the central control, one or more characteristics of the object from the data comprises extracting at least one of a size, material, bar code data, or relative position of the object from the data.

4. The method of claim 2, wherein determining, with the central control, one or more characteristics of the object from the data comprises determining that the object is an inventory item;

and

wherein routing the cleanup robot from the approximate location to a predetermined location to further process the object comprises routing the cleanup robot to a work station to enable a worker to inspect the object.

5. The method of claim 2, wherein determining, with the central control, one or more characteristics of the object from the data comprises determining that the object is to be discarded;

and

wherein routing the cleanup robot from the approximate location to a predetermined location to further process the object comprises routing the cleanup robot to a trash or recycling bin.

6. A method comprising:

receiving, at a central control, a notification of an object improperly located on a floor of a workspace, the notification including at least an approximate location of the object within the workspace;

designating, with the central control, a work zone encompassing at least the approximate location;

transmitting, from the central control, the work zone to a plurality of robots operating in the workspace to route the plurality of robots proximate to the work zone;

routing a robot to retrieve a cleanup pod from a first location;

routing the robot with the cleanup pod to the approximate location of the object; and

instructing the robot to disengage from the cleanup pod proximate the approximate location, the cleanup pod configured to recover the object and relocate the object on or within the cleanup pod.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the central control, another notification that the cleanup pod has recovered the object;

instructing a robot of the plurality of robots to reengage the cleanup pod that includes the object; and

routing the robot with the cleanup pod and the object from the approximate location to a predetermined location to further process the object.

8. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the central control, data associated with the object from one or more sensors on the cleanup pod; and

determining, with the central control, one or more characteristics of the object from the data;

assigning, with the central control, a predetermined location based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the object; and

routing the robot, and the object, from the approximate location to the predetermined location to further process the object.

9. The method of claim 8, wherein determining, with the central control, one or more characteristics of the object from the data comprises extracting at least one of a size, material, bar code data, or relative position of the object from the data.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the central control, another notification that the cleanup pod is unable to recover the object automatically; and

sending a signal to recover the object using the cleanup pod in a teleoperation mode wherein a worker controls the cleanup pod remotely;

receiving, at the central control, a third notification that the object has been recovered using the cleanup pod in teleoperation mode;

instructing a robot to reengage the cleanup pod that includes the object; and

routing the robot with the cleanup pod and the object from the approximate location to a predetermined location to further process the object.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein designating the work zone comprises:

receiving an indication of a first fiducial marker located proximate the approximate location; and

receiving an indication of a plurality of adjacent fiducial markers that encompass the first fiducial marker;

wherein the work zone comprises an area bounded by the plurality of adjacent fiducial markers and encompassing the first fiducial marker.

12. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an actual location for the object from the cleanup pod, the cleanup pod using at least one sensor to identify the actual location; and

redesignating the work zone, with the central control, based on the actual location of the object;

wherein redesignating the work zone comprises at least one of changing a size of the work zone or changing a location of the work zone.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein routing the plurality of robots proximate to the work zone comprises preventing the plurality of robots from entering the work zone;

and further comprising;

de-designating, as a de-designated work zone and with the central control, the work zone; and

transmitting a signal, from the central control to the plurality of robots operating in the workspace, to return to normal operation to enable the plurality of robots to enter the de-designated work zone.

14. A method comprising:

receiving, at a transceiver of a cleanup robot, a notification from a central control related to an object improperly located on a floor of a workspace, the notification including at least an approximate location of the object within the workspace;

activating, with a processor on the cleanup robot, one or more drive units on the cleanup robot to travel to the approximate location;

positioning, with the one or more drive units, the cleanup robot proximate to the object;

scanning the object with one or more sensors on the cleanup robot to determine if the object can be retrieved by the cleanup robot;

determining, with the processor on the cleanup robot, that the object can be retrieved with the cleanup robot;

repositioning the object from the floor on the workspace to a carrying tray on the cleanup robot; and

sending, with the transceiver on the cleanup robot, a notification to the central control that the object has been retrieved.

15. The method of claim 14, wherein the one or more sensors include at least one of an optical sensor, a video camera, an infrared sensor, an ultraviolet (UV) sensor, an imaging device, a bump sensor, a proximity sensor, a laser scanner, or a magnetic sensor.

16. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

receiving, with the transceiver on the cleanup robot, a notification to transport the object to a predetermined location to further process the object.

17. The method of claim 16, further comprising:

sending, with the transceiver on the cleanup robot, a notification to the central control that the object has been delivered to the predetermined location; and

receiving, with the transceiver on the cleanup robot, a notification for the cleanup robot to return to a home location.

18. The method of claim 17, wherein the home location comprises an area under an inventory holder.

19. The method of claim 14, further comprising:

determining, with the processor on the cleanup robot, that the object cannot be retrieved with the cleanup robot; and

sending, with the transceiver on the cleanup robot, a teleoperation message to a central control that the object cannot be retrieved automatically by the cleanup robot.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising:

receiving, with the transceiver on the cleanup robot, one or more teleoperation commands from a worker at the central control, the teleoperation commands to remotely control the cleanup robot to reposition the object from the floor on the workspace to a carrying tray on the cleanup robot.