Split robotic article pick and put system

A method of picking articles from a collection of articles and arranging the articles into receptacles at placement locations, said method comprising:

• capturing an image with a first vision system from a collection of articles at a first pick location and determining coordinate data with an image processor for at least some of the articles in the collection of articles;
• providing the coordinate data with a sequence controller for an article in the collection of articles to a first robotic manipulator;
• picking that article from the mixed collection of articles with said first robotic manipulator according to the coordinate data for that article;
• placing that article at a first place location by said first robotic manipulator;
• determining, with a second vision system and the image processor, the position and orientation data of that article as placed by the said first robotic manipulator and a receptacle placement location of one of the receptacles for that article;
• providing, with the sequence controller, the receptacle placement location data of that article to a second robotic manipulator;
• picking that article with said second robotic manipulator using the position and orientation data of that article as placed by said first robotic manipulator and as determined by the second vision system and the image processor;
• and
• placing that article at the receptacle placement location with said second robotic manipulator;
• wherein said picking of the article with said second robotic manipulator is substantially without conflict with said placing of that article at the first place location with said first robotic manipulator, wherein said first and second robotic manipulators are operable at different speeds.

An article pick and put system, comprising:

• a first robotic system comprising a first vision system and a first robotic manipulator;
• a second robotic system comprising a second vision system and a second robotic manipulator;
• an article support at a first pick location and an article support at a second place location;
• said first vision system adapted to obtain coordinates of an article at said first pick location and said first robotic manipulator adapted to respond to the coordinates of that article to pick that article from said first pick location and place that article at a first place location;
• said second vision system adapted to obtain position and orientation data of an article at a second pick location and said second robotic manipulator adapted to respond to said second vision system to pick that article at the article's position and orientation at said second pick location and place that article at a placement location at the second place location;
• wherein said second robotic manipulator adapted to pick the article at the position and orientation of the article at said second pick location that is spaced from said first place location and including an accumulation conveyor adapted to convey articles from said first place location to said second pick location.

An article pick and put system, comprising:

• a first robotic system comprising a first vision system and a first robotic manipulator;
• a second robotic system comprising a second vision system and a second robotic manipulator;
• an article support at a first pick location and an article support at a second place location;
• said first vision system adapted to obtain coordinates of an article at said first pick location and said first robotic manipulator adapted to respond to the coordinates of that article to pick that article from said first pick location and place that article at a first place location;
• said second vision system adapted to obtain position and orientation data of an article at a second pick location and said second robotic manipulator adapted to respond to said second vision system to pick that article at the article's position and orientation at said second pick location and place that article at a placement location at the second place location;
• wherein said second robotic manipulator adapted to pick the article at the position and orientation of the article at said second pick location that is spaced from said first place location and including a conveyance device adapted to convey articles from said first place location to said second pick location;
• and
• a scanner at said conveyance device, said scanner adapted to capture additional data regarding each article being conveyed by said conveyance device, wherein said scanner comprises a scan tunnel that is adapted to scan multiple sides of an article to read an optical code on any side of an article.

An article pick and put system, comprising:

• a first robotic system comprising a first vision system and a first robotic manipulator;
• a second robotic system comprising a second vision system and a second robotic manipulator;
• an article support at a first pick location and an article support at a second place location;
• said first vision system adapted to obtain coordinates of an article at said first pick location and said first robotic manipulator adapted to respond to the coordinates of that article to pick that article from said first pick location and place that article at a first place location;
• said second vision system adapted to obtain position and orientation data of an article at a second pick location and said second robotic manipulator adapted to respond to said second vision system to pick that article at the article's position and orientation at said second pick location and place that article at a placement location at the second place location;
• wherein said second robotic manipulator adapted to pick the article at the position and orientation of the article at said second pick location that is spaced from said first place location and including a conveyance device adapted to convey articles from said first place location to said second pick location;
• and
• a second conveyance device that is adapted to convey a receptacle from said first pick location after said first robotic manipulator picks at least one article from that receptacle.