Robotic surgical tool with pivotable transmission linkage on translating carriage
AssigneeAmazon Technologies, Inc.
InventorsLongyu Zhao, Tri Minh Quach, Xujie Wang, Bryan Beard, John Swinford
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An automated system for singulating items is provided. The automated system includes a singulation apparatus. The singulation apparatus includes multiple conveyor modules and a vertical frame structure. Each of the multiple conveyor modules has an identical physical structure. The vertical frame structure provides multiple horizontal mounting locations, each at a different height along the vertical frame structure. Each of the conveyor modules is mounted to a different one of the multiple horizontal mounting locations.
Claims20
A system comprising:
- a singulation apparatus;
- a diverting apparatus configured to receive an item from the singulation apparatus, the diverting apparatus comprising:
- a first conveyor belt configured to rotate around a first roller at an end of the first conveyor belt;
- a second conveyor belt disposed adjacent to the first conveyor belt and configured to rotate around a second roller at an end of the second conveyor belt;
- and
- a motor configured to drive a rotation of the first conveyor belt and a rotation of the second conveyor belt;
- and
- a controller configured to:
- determine whether the item is singulated, upon detecting the item on the first conveyor belt;
- control the first conveyor belt and the second conveyor belt to pass the item from the singulation apparatus to a third conveyor belt, when the item is singulated;
- and
- control, via the motor, a rotation of the first conveyor belt and a rotation of the second conveyor belt to divert the item from the singulation apparatus to a fourth conveyor belt, when the item is not singulated.
An apparatus configured to divert one or more items that exit from a singulation apparatus, the apparatus comprising:
- a first conveyor belt configured to rotate around a first roller disposed at a first end of the first conveyor belt;
- a second conveyor belt disposed adjacent to the first conveyor belt and configured to rotate around a second roller disposed at a first end of the second conveyor belt;
- and
- a motor configured to control rotation of the first conveyor belt and rotation of the second conveyor belt to divert at least one item of the one or more items that exit from the singulation apparatus, wherein the motor is configured to rotate the first conveyor belt around the first roller in a first vertical direction and rotate the second conveyor belt around the second roller in a second vertical direction.
A computer-implemented method for controlling an apparatus configured to divert one or more items that exit a singulation apparatus, the computer-implemented method comprising:
- detecting a first item of the one or more items on a first conveyor belt of the apparatus;
- determining whether the first item is singulated, based on a distance between the first item and a second item of the one or more items;
- upon determining that the first item is singulated, controlling the first conveyor belt to transfer the first item onto a second conveyor belt of the apparatus;
- and
- upon determining that the first item is not singulated, controlling a rotation of the first conveyor belt and a rotation of the second conveyor belt to divert the first item onto a third conveyor belt.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.