System and method for piece-picking or put-away with a mobile manipulation robot

• US 20150032252A1
• Filed: 07/25/2014
• Published: 01/29/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 07/25/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Iam Robotics, Llc
• Original Assignee: Iam Robotics, Llc
• Inventors: Galluzzo, Thomas, Valois, Jean Sebastien, Altman, Vladimir
• Granted Patent: US 9,785,911 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 700/218
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 11/00 Manipulators not otherwise provided for
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0028 with movable, e.g. pivoting gripping jaw surfaces
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0085 with means for applying an electrostatic force on the object to be gripped
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/06 with vacuum or magnetic holding means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0608 with magnetic holding means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 15/0616 with vacuum
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 19/021 Optical sensing devices
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0093 co-operating with conveyor means
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/162 Mobile manipulator, movable base with manipulator arm mounted on it
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/1692 Calibration of manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: B60P 1/5423 attached to the loading platform or similar
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1373 for fulfilling orders in warehouses
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 1/1375 the orders being assembled on a commissioning stacker-crane or truck
• CPC Class Codes: B65G 2209/04 Indication location means
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/37008 Calibration of measuring system, probe, sensor
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/39441 Voice command, camera detects object, grasp, move
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40298 Manipulator on vehicle, wheels, mobile
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40543 Identification and location, position of components, objects
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/40564 Recognize shape, contour of object, extract position and orientation
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 2219/45063 : Pick and place manipulator
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0011 : associated with a remote control arrangement
• 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: G05D 1/0248 : in combination with a laser lasers per se H01S
• 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 901/02 : Arm motion controller
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/31 : Gripping jaw
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/40 : Vacuum or mangetic
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 901/47 : Optical

Abstract

A method and system for piece-picking or piece put-away within a logistics facility. The system includes a central server and at least one mobile manipulation robot. The central server is configured to communicate with the robots to send and receive piece-picking data which includes a unique identification for each piece to be picked, a location within the logistics facility of the pieces to be picked, and a route for the robot to take within the logistics facility. The robots can then autonomously navigate and position themselves within the logistics facility by recognition of landmarks by at least one of a plurality of sensors. The sensors also provide signals related to detection, identification, and location of a piece to be picked or put-away, and processors on the robots analyze the sensor information to generate movements of a unique articulated arm and end effector on the robot to pick or put-away the piece.

Claims

19-1. The system of claim 1, wherein the logistics facility is a warehouse, distribution center, manufacturing facility, or retail facility.

21. A method of piece-picking within a logistics facility, the method comprising:

(a) providing a piece-picking or put-away system comprising;

a central server including a server communication interface, one or more server processors, and a server memory; and

at least one mobile manipulation robot including a mobile base, at least one articulated manipulator arm having an end effector, at least one piece containment area, a plurality of sensors, a remote communication interface, a robot memory configured to store robot specific information, and one or more robot processors coupled to the sensors, the memory, the mobile base, and the at least one articulated manipulation arm;

(b) receiving at the central memory via the server communication interface at least one piece-picking order including at least one item to be picked;

(c) generating at the one or more server processors a piece-picking itinerary based on the at least one piece-picking order, wherein the itinerary includes a unique identification for each item to be picked, a location within a logistics facility of the items to be picked, and a route for the at least one mobile manipulation robot to take within the logistics facility;

(d) receiving at the robot memory the piece-picking itinerary;

(e) moving the at least one mobile manipulation robot along the route to the location within the logistics facility of the items to be picked;

(f) picking the at least one item to be picked from the location using the end effector of the at least one mobile manipulation arm; and

(g) placing the at least one item to be picked in the at least one piece containment area.

22. The method of claim 21, wherein the plurality of sensors provide signals related to detection, identification, and location of the at least one item to be picked, and the one or more robot processors analyze the sensor information to generate articulated arm control signals to guide the end effector of the at least one articulated manipulator arm to pick the item.

23. The method of claim 21, wherein moving the at least one mobile manipulation robot occurs autonomously by recognition of at least one landmark by at least one of the plurality of sensors.

24. The method of claim 21, wherein the at least one piece-picking order received at the central memory is generated by a warehouse management system.

25. The method of claim 21, wherein at least one sensor is positioned at a central point on the at least one articulated manipulator arm such that rotation of the at least one articulated manipulator arm directs the at least one sensor to view the at least one piece containment area.

26. The method of claim 25, wherein the at least one piece containment area comprises a calibration target which allows calibration of the at least one sensor located at a central point on the at least one articulated manipulator arm.

27. The method of claim 21, further comprising:

(h) sensing a weight for the at least one item placed in the at least one piece containment area.