Systems and methods for removing debris from warehouse floors

• US 9,665,095 B1
• Filed: 03/19/2015
• Issued: 05/30/2017
• 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: Wurman, Peter R., Romano, Joseph, Polic, Dennis, Mansfield, Peter K.
• Primary Examiner(s): Figueroa, Jaime
• Application Number:
  US14/662,893
• Time in Patent Office: 803 Days
• CPC Class Codes: A47L 11/24 Floor-sweeping machines, motor-driven
• 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: B25J 5/007 mounted on wheels
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/0096 co-operating with a working support, e.g. work-table
• CPC Class Codes: B25J 9/042 comprising an articulated arm
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70
• 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 cleanup robot comprising:

one or more drive mechanisms to move the cleanup robot throughout a workspace;

one or more imaging devices disposed on the cleanup robot to provide imagery of an area proximate to the cleanup robot;

a carrying tray, disposed on a first end of the cleanup robot and moveable between a raised position and a lowered position, to receive an object from a floor of the workspace;

one or more gate arms slideably engaged with the cleanup robot and moveable between an extended position and a retracted position; and

one or more gates pivotally coupled to a first end of the one or more gate arms and pivotable between an open position and a closed position;

wherein the one or more gates are moved from the open position to the closed position to encircle the object; and

wherein the one or more gate arms and the one or more gates pivotally coupled thereto are moved from the extended position to the retracted position to pull the object onto the carrying tray in the lowered position.

2. The cleanup robot of claim 1, wherein the carrying tray further comprises:

a rear portion pivotally coupled to the first end of the cleanup robot; and

a deformable, forward portion coupled to the rear portion;

wherein, in the raised position, the rear portion and the forward portion form a substantially flat carrying tray; and

wherein, in the lowered position;

the rear portion pivots downward with respect to the cleanup robot; and

the forward portion deforms to substantially conform to the floor to receive the object onto the carrying tray.

3. The cleanup robot of claim 1, each of the one or more gates further comprising:

a main portion defining a plurality of slots; and

an edge strip slideably engaged with the plurality of slots and comprising;

a rigid carrier to slideably couple the edge strip to the main portion; and

a deformable edge to substantially conform to the floor.

4. The cleanup robot of claim 1, each of the one or more gate arms further comprising:

a track detachably coupled to the cleanup robot; and

an arm slideably engaged with the track and moveable between the extended position and the retracted position.

5. The cleanup robot of claim 1, each of the one or more gates further comprising a gate actuator to move the one or more gates between the open position and the closed position.

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 around the work zone to prevent the plurality of robots from entering the work zone;

routing a cleanup robot to the approximate location; and

instructing the cleanup robot to recover the object and relocate the object on or within the cleanup robot.

7. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

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

routing the cleanup robot, 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 robot;

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

9. The method of claim 8, further comprising:

determining, with the central control, that the object is an inventory item based at least in part on the one or more characteristics of the object;

wherein the predetermined location comprises an inspection station.

10. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

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

sending a teleoperation signal to recover the object using the cleanup robot in teleoperation mode;

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

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

11. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving, at the central control, an image of the object from one or more sensors on the cleanup robot;

determining, with the central control, that the cleanup robot is unable to recover the object automatically;

sending a teleoperation signal to recover the object using the cleanup robot in teleoperation mode;

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

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

12. 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.

13. The method of claim 6, wherein routing the cleanup robot to the approximate location of the object further comprises overriding one or more designated travel directions in the workspace to permit the cleanup robot to travel against the one or more designated travel directions.

14. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

receiving an actual location for the object from the cleanup robot, the cleanup robot 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.

15. The method of claim 6, further comprising:

de-designating, 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 allow the plurality of robots to enter the work zone.

16. A cleanup robot comprising:

one or more gate arms slideably engaged with the cleanup robot and moveable between an extended position and a retracted position; and

one or more gates pivotally coupled to a first end of the one or more gate arms and pivotable between an open position and a closed position;

a carrying tray, disposed on a first end of the cleanup robot and moveable between a raised position and a lowered position, to receive an object from a floor of a workspace, the carrying tray comprising;

a rear portion pivotally coupled to the first end of the cleanup robot;

a deformable forward portion coupled to the rear portion; and

one or more carrying tray actuators to move the carrying tray between the raised position and the lowered position;

wherein the one or more gates are moved from the open position to the closed position to encircle the object; and

wherein the one or more gate arms and the one or more gates pivotally coupled thereto are moved from the extended position to the retracted position to pull the object onto the carrying tray in the lowered position.

17. The cleanup robot of claim 16, further comprising:

a sensor disposed in a downward facing manner to identify at least one fiducial marking of a plurality of fiducial markings disposed on the floor.

18. The cleanup robot of claim 16, each of the one or more gates further comprising a gate actuator to move the one or more gates between the open position and the closed position.

19. The cleanup robot of claim 18, each gate actuator further comprising:

a motor to move the gate between the open position and the closed position; and

an adapter to detachably couple the gate to the motor.

20. The cleanup robot of claim 16, each of the one or more gate arms further comprising a gate arm actuator, each gate arm actuator comprising:

a motor to move the gate arm between the retracted position and the extended position;

a drive gear coupled to the motor; and

a driven gear coupled to the gate arm and in meshed engagement with the drive gear to move the gate arm between the extended position and the retracted position.