Heterogeneous fleet of robots for collaborative object processing

• US 9,733,646 B1
• Filed: 11/10/2014
• Issued: 08/15/2017
• 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:
  US14/537,145
• Time in Patent Office: 1,009 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 that is configured to manipulate one or more objects within an area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;

a first mobile robotic device that is configured to;

receive, from a global control system, instructions to deliver an object to within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;

receive, from at least one sensor on the first mobile robotic device, first sensor data indicative of a surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;

process, by a local control system of the first mobile robotic device, the received first sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find an available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator; and

navigate to the available location with the object to be moved by the fixed robotic manipulator; and

a second mobile robotic device that is configured to;

receive, from the global control system, instructions to navigate to within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator to receive the object;

receive, from at least one sensor on the second mobile robotic device, second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;

process, by a local control system of the second mobile robotic device, the received second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find a different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator, and

navigate to the different available location to receive the object from the fixed robotic manipulator for delivery to another location within the environment, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator and the second mobile robotic device are further configured to perform a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the second 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 second 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, wherein the first mobile robotic device comprises an autonomous fork truck that is configured to lift and transport a pallet of objects that includes the object to the available location within 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 available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator by placing the pallet of objects on a ground floor within the environment at the available location before the second mobile robotic device arrives within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator.

5. The system of claim 3, wherein the second 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 second 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, wherein when the second mobile robotic device arrives within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator at a time before the first mobile robotic device arrives, the second mobile robotic device is configured to wait within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator for the first mobile robotic device to deliver the object.

9. The system of claim 1, wherein the second mobile robotic device is controlled to navigate to the different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator to receive the object at a time after the first mobile robotic device has delivered the object to the available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator.

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

11. 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.

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

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

14. The system of claim 13, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is further configured to identify the object located at the available location based on the first communication signal and identify the second mobile robotic device located at the different available location based on the second communication signal before moving the object onto the second mobile robotic device.

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

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

17. A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first mobile robotic device from a global control system, instructions to deliver an object to within an area of reach of a fixed robotic manipulator, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is positioned within an environment;

receiving, by the first mobile robotic device from at least one sensor on the first mobile robotic device, first sensor data indicative of a surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;

processing, by a local control system of the first mobile robotic device, the received first sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find an available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;

navigating, by the first mobile robotic device, to the available location with the object to be moved by the fixed robotic manipulator;

receiving, by a second mobile robotic device from the global control system, instructions to navigate to within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator to receive the object;

receiving, by the second mobile robotic device from at least one sensor on the second mobile robotic device, second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;

processing, by a local control system of the second mobile robotic device, the received second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find a different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;

navigating, by the second mobile robotic device, to the different available location to receive the object from the fixed robotic manipulator;

performing, by the fixed robotic manipulator and the second mobile robotic device, a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the second 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 second mobile robotic device;

moving, by the fixed robotic manipulator, the object onto the second mobile robotic device located at the different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator; and

transporting, by the second mobile robotic device, the object to another location within the environment.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising delivering, by the first mobile robotic device, a pallet of objects that includes the object to the available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator.