Method for picking up an object from a bin

A method for picking up an object from a bin to be implemented by a robotic arm including a controller, a kinematic chain that has an end, a scanning module, and a picking-up module that is attached to the end of the kinematic chain, the method comprising:

• a capturing step of the scanning module capturing an image of an interior of the bin;
• a recognizing step of the controller recognizing a plurality of to-be-transported (TBT) objects in the bin based on the image captured by the scanning module so as to determine a type of each of the TBT objects;
• a positioning step of the controller determining an altitudinal position of each of the TBT objects in the bin based on the image captured by the scanning module;
• a scoring step of the controller determining a score for each of the TBT objects based on the altitudinal position and the type thereof, wherein the scoring step includes, for each of the TBT objects, giving a first score value to the TBT object based on the altitudinal position of the TBT object, giving a second score value to the TBT object based on the type of the TBT object, and calculating a value of the score of the TBT object as a sum of the first score value and the second score value;
• a determining step of the controller determining whether a greatest score among the scores of the TBT objects is greater than a predetermined value;
• and
• a picking-up step of the controller controlling the kinematic chain to move the picking-up module to a position above one of the TBT objects that has the greatest score and the picking-up module to pick up the one of the TBT objects when it is determined that the greatest score is greater than the predetermined value,
• wherein the scoring step includes, for each of the TBT objects, giving a first score value to the TBT object based on the altitudinal position of the TBT object, giving a second score value to the TBT object based on the type of the TBT object, and calculating a value of the score of the TBT object as a sum of the first score value and the second score value,
• wherein the recognizing step is to, for each of the TBT objects, determine whether the TBT object is a cap on a lying bottle, a plastic bag, a box without a label attached thereto, a label attached to a box, a bottle in an upside-down position, or a cap that is on a standing bottle and that has a flat top surface,
• wherein the second score value is a first value when the TBT object is determined to be a cap on a lying bottle, a second value when the TBT object is determined to be a plastic bag, a third value when the TBT object is determined to be a box without a label attached thereto, a fourth value when the TBT object is determined to be a label attached to a box, a fifth value when the TBT object is determined to be a bottle in an upside-down position, and a sixth value when the TBT object is determined to be a cap that is on a standing bottle and that has a flat top surface, and
• wherein the first to sixth values from high to low are the first value, the second value, the third value, the fourth value, the fifth value and the sixth value.

A method for picking up an object from a bin to be implemented by a robotic arm including a controller, a kinematic chain that has an end, a scanning module, and a picking-up module that is attached to the end of the kinematic chain, the method comprising:

• a capturing step of the scanning module capturing an image of an interior of the bin;
• a recognizing step of the controller recognizing a plurality of to-be-transported (TBT) objects in the bin based on the image captured by the scanning module so as to determine a type of each of the TBT objects;
• a positioning step of the controller determining an altitudinal position of each of the TBT objects in the bin based on the image captured by the scanning module;
• a scoring step of the controller determining a score for each of the TBT objects based on the altitudinal position and the type thereof;
• a determining step of the controller determining whether a greatest score among the scores of the TBT objects is greater than a predetermined value;
• and
• a picking-up step of the controller controlling the kinematic chain to move the picking-up module to a position above one of the TBT objects that has the greatest score and the picking-up module to pick up the one of the TBT objects when it is determined that the greatest score is greater than the predetermined value,
• wherein the recognizing step is to, for each of the TBT objects, determine whether the TBT object is a floating part of a label with the label being partially attached to another object, a cap that is on a standing bottle and that has an uneven top surface, a cap that is on a standing bottle and that has a folded sheet attached to a top surface thereof, or a back side of a floating part of a label with the label being partially attached to another object,
• wherein, for each of the TBT objects, the scoring step is to give the TBT object a score of zero when the TBT object is determined to be one of a floating part of a label with the label being partially attached to another object, a cap that is on a standing bottle and that has an uneven top surface, a cap that is on a standing bottle and that has a folded sheet attached to a top surface thereof, and a back side of a floating part of a label with the label being partially attached to another object.