Distributed autonomous robot systems and methods

• US 10,625,941 B2
• Filed: 01/26/2018
• Issued: 04/21/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2017
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Walmart Apollo, LLC (WalMart Inc.)
• Inventors: High, Donald, Winkle, David, McHale, Brian Gerard, Mattingly, Todd Davenport
• Primary Examiner(s): Cumbess, Yolanda R
• Application Number:
  US15/880,706
• Publication Number:
  US 20180215544A1
• Time in Patent Office: 816 Days
• Field of Search: None
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/163 learning, adaptive, model based, rule based expert control
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1669 characterised by special application, e.g. multi-arm co-operation, assembly, grasping
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1697 Vision controlled systems
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1371 with data records
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39146 Swarm, multiagent, distributed multitask fusion, cooperation multi robots
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0088 characterized by the autonomous decision making process, e.g. artificial intelligence, predefined behaviours using knowledge based models G06N5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1413 1D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06K 7/1417 2D bar codes
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/08 Logistics, e.g. warehousing, loading or distribution; Inventory or stock management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/087 Inventory or stock management, e.g. order filling, procurement or balancing against orders
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/01 Mobile robot
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 Optical

Abstract

Described in detail herein is an automated fulfillment system including a computing system programmed to receive requests from disparate sources for physical objects disposed at one or more locations in a facility. The computing system can combine the requests, and group the physical objects in the requests based on object types or expected object locations. Autonomous robot devices can receive instructions from the computing system to retrieve a group of the physical objects and deposit the physical objects in storage containers.

Claims

1. An automated fulfillment system, the system comprising:

a computing system programmed to receive requests from disparate sources for physical objects disposed at one or more locations in a facility, combine the requests, and group the physical objects in the requests based on object types or expected object locations;

a database communicatively coupled to the computing system, storing information associated with the physical objects;

a plurality of autonomous robot devices in selective communication with the computing system and the database via a communications network, at least one of the plurality of autonomous robot devices including a controller, a drive motor, an articulated arm, a reader and an image capturing device,

the at least one of the autonomous robot devices is configured to;

(i) receive instructions from the computing system to retrieve a first group of the physical objects based on one or more identifiers associated with the physical objects in the first group of physical objects,

(ii) query the database using the one or more identifiers associated with the physical objects in the first group to retrieve information associated with the first group of the physical objects,

(iii) determine a first set of object locations of the physical objects in the first group based on the retrieved information,

(iv) navigate autonomously through the facility to the first set of object locations in response to operation of the drive motor by the controller,

(v) locate and scan one or more machine readable elements at the first set of object locations, the one or more machine-readable elements being encoded with the one or more identifiers,

(vi) detect, via at least one image captured by the image capture device, that the first group of physical objects are disposed at the first set of locations,

(vii) pick up a first quantity of physical objects in the first group using the articulated arm, and

(viii) deposit the physical objects in the first group in storage containers, wherein each of the storage containers corresponds to one of the requests and the at least one of the autonomous robot devices deposits the physical objects in the first group in the storage containers based on the requests to which the physical objects are associated;

a first plurality of sensors disposed at the first set of object locations, the first plurality of sensors configured to determine that the at least one autonomous robot devices retrieved the physical objects in the first group; and

a second plurality of sensors disposed in the storage containers, the second plurality of sensors configured to determine that the at least one of the autonomous robot devices correctly deposited the physical objects in the storage containers.

2. The system in claim 1, wherein the at least one of the autonomous robot further devices configured to:

carry the first quantity of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group;

navigate to the storage containers located at a second location in the facility;

deposit a first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a first one of the storage containers; and

deposit a second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a second one of the storage containers.

3. The system in claim 2, wherein the at least one of the autonomous robot devices is further configured to transport the first one of the storage containers and the second one of the storage containers to a specified location in the facility.

4. The system in claim 2, further comprising a plurality of shelving units disposed in the facility and wherein the first quantity of physical objects in the first group is disposed on the plurality of shelving units.

5. The system in claim 4, wherein the first plurality of sensors is disposed in or about the plurality of shelving units.

6. The system in claim 4, wherein the first plurality of sensors are configured to detect a change in a first set of attributes associated with the shelving units when the first quantity of physical objects in the first group is removed from the plurality of shelving units, and transmit the first set of attributes to the computing system.

7. The system in claim 6, wherein the computing system updates the database in response to receiving the first set of attributes.

8. The system in claim 1, wherein the second plurality of sensors is disposed in a bottom surface of the storage containers.

9. The system in claim 8, wherein the second plurality of sensors is configured to detect a first set of attributes associated with a first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a first one of the storage containers, detect a second set of attributes associated with a second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a second one of the storage containers, and transmit the first set of attributes to the computing system.

10. The system in claim 9, wherein the computing system is further programmed to update the database in response to receiving the first and second set of attributes.

11. An automated fulfillment method, the method comprising:

receiving, via a computing system, requests from disparate sources for physical objects disposed at one or more locations in a facility;

combining, via the computing system, the requests;

grouping, via the computing system, the physical objects in the requests based on object types or expected object locations;

receiving instructions from the computing system to retrieve a first group of the physical objects based on one or more identifiers associated with the physical objects in the first group of physical objects via at least one autonomous robot device of a plurality of autonomous robot devices, the at least one autonomous robot device is in selective communication with the computing system via a communications network, and the at least one autonomous robot device includes a controller, a drive motor, an articulated arm, a reader and an image capturing device;

querying, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a database operatively coupled to the computing system and the plurality of autonomous robot devices, using the one or more identifiers associated with the physical objects in the first group to retrieve information associated with the first group of physical objects;

determining, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a first set of object locations of the physical objects in the first group based on the retrieved information;

navigating, via the at least one autonomous robot device, autonomously through the facility to the first set of object locations in response to operation of the drive motor by the controller;

locating and scanning, via the at least one autonomous robot device, one or more machine readable elements disposed at the first set of object locations, the machine-readable elements being encoded with the one or more identifiers;

detecting, via at least one image captured by the image capture device of the at least one autonomous robot device, that the first group of physical objects is disposed at the first set of locations;

picking up, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a first quantity of physical objects in the first group using the articulated arm;

depositing, via the at least one autonomous robot device, the physical objects in the first group in storage containers, wherein each of the storage containers corresponds to one of the requests, and the at least one autonomous robot device deposits the physical objects in the first group in the storage containers based on the requests to which the physical objects are associated;

determining, via a first plurality of sensors disposed at the first set of object locations and operatively coupled to the computing system, that the at least one autonomous robot device retrieved the physical objects in the first group; and

determining, via a second plurality of sensors disposed at the storage containers and operatively coupled to the computing system, that the at least one autonomous robot device correctly deposited the physical objects in the storage containers.

12. The method in claim 11, wherein the instructions from the computing system include one or more identifiers associated with the physical objects in the first group of physical objects.

13. The method in claim 12, further comprising:

carrying, via the at least one autonomous robot device, the first quantity of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group;

navigating the at least one autonomous robot device to the storage containers located at a second location in the facility;

depositing, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a first one of the storage containers; and

depositing, via the at least one autonomous robot device, a second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a second one of the storage containers.

14. The method in claim 13, further comprising transporting, via the at least one autonomous robot device, the first one of the storage containers and the second one of the storage containers to a specified location in the facility.

15. The method in claim 13, wherein the first quantity of physical objects in the first group is disposed on a plurality of shelving units disposed in the facility before being retrieved by the at least one autonomous robot device.

16. The method in claim 15, wherein the first plurality of sensors is disposed in or about the plurality of shelving units.

17. The method in claim 16, further comprising:

detecting, via the first plurality of sensors, a change in a first set of attributes associated with the shelving units when the first quantity of physical objects in the first group is removed from the plurality of shelving units; and

transmitting, via the first plurality of sensors, the first set of attributes to the computing system.

18. The method in claim 17, further comprising updating, via the computing system, the database in response to receiving the first set of attributes.

19. The method in claim 12, wherein the second plurality of sensors is disposed in a bottom surface of the storage containers.

20. The method in claim 19, further comprising:

detecting, via the second plurality of sensors, a first set of attributes associated with a first subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a first one of the storage containers;

detecting, via the second plurality of sensors, a second set of attributes associated with a second subset of the first quantity of physical objects in the first group in a second one of the storage containers; and

transmitting, via the second plurality of sensors, the first and second set of attributes the computing system.