Transport of objects using robots
AssigneeKabushiki Kaisha Toshiba
InventorMarius Jurt
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method of transporting an object using a system comprising a plurality of robots. The method comprises one or more robots of the plurality of robots arranging themselves to each exert a respective transporting force on the object. Each of the one or more robots evaluates whether it satisfies a transport criterion while arranged to exert the respective transporting force on the object. If all of the one or more robots satisfy the transport criterion, the one or more robots exert the respective transporting forces on the object to transport the object towards a destination. At least one of the one or more robots evaluates whether it satisfies the transport criterion based on observations of other robots of the plurality of robots within its vicinity.
Claims20
A method of transporting an object using a system comprising a plurality of robots, the method comprising:
- one or more robots of the plurality of robots arranging themselves to each exert a respective transporting force on the object;
- each of the one or more robots evaluating whether it satisfies a transport criterion while arranged to exert the respective transporting force on the object;
- and
- if all of the one or more robots satisfy the transport criterion, the one or more robots exerting the respective transporting forces on the object to transport the object towards a destination,
- wherein at least one of the one or more robots evaluates whether it satisfies the transport criterion based on observations of other robots of the plurality of robots within its vicinity,
- the one or more robots arranging themselves comprises each of the robots positioning themselves beneath the object to lift the object, and
- a robot of the one or more robots satisfies the transport criterion if at least a pre-set number of other robots of the one or more robots are positioned within a first threshold distance from the robot of the one or more robots.
A robot comprising a processor, one or more non-transitory storage media, a drive, an edge of the robot, wherein the non-transitory storage medium comprises computer instructions executable by the processor, the computer instructions when executed by the processor causing the robot to:
- arrange itself using the drive to exert a respective transporting force on an object using the edge;
- subsequently evaluate whether it satisfies a transport criterion based on observations of other robots in its vicinity;
- communicate with any other robots that have arranged themselves to exert respective transporting forces on the object and determine whether all of the any other robots satisfy the transport criterion;
- and
- if the robot and all of the any other robots satisfy the transport criterion, exert the respective transporting force on the object to transport the object towards a destination,
- wherein the robot arranging itself comprises the robot positioning itself beneath the object to lift the object, and
- the robot satisfies the transport criterion if at least a pre-set number of other robots are positioned within a first threshold distance from the robot.
One or more non-transitory storage media comprising computer instructions executable by a processor of a robot, the computer instructions when executed by the processor causing the robot to:
- arrange itself to apply a transporting force on an object;
- subsequently evaluate whether it satisfies a transport criterion based on observations of other robots in its vicinity;
- communicate with any other robots that have arranged themselves to exert a transporting force on the object and determine whether all of the any other robots satisfy the transport criterion;
- and
- if the robot and all of the any other robots satisfy the transport criterion, transport the object towards a destination,
- wherein the robot arranging itself comprises the robot positioning itself beneath the object to lift the object, and
- the robot satisfies the transport criterion if at least a pre-set number of other robots are positioned within a first threshold distance from the robot.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.