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US 12,064,880 B2Granted
Clutter-clearing robotic system
AssigneeClutterbot, Inc.
InventorsJustin David Hamilton, Kalen Fletcher Wolfe, Jack Alexander Bannister-Sutton, Bryden James Frizzell
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A robot is operated to navigate an environment using cameras and map the type, size and location of objects. The system determines the type, size and location of objects and classifies the objects for association with specific containers. For each category of object with a corresponding container, the robot chooses a specific object to pick up in that category, performs path planning and navigates to objects of the category, to either organize or pick up the objects. Actuated pusher arms move other objects out of the way and manipulates the target object onto the front bucket to be carried.
Claims25
A method comprising:
- associating each of a plurality of object categories for objects in an environment with corresponding containers situated in the environment;
- activating a robot at a base station;
- navigating the robot around the environment using cameras to map a type, a size, and a location of the objects;
- for each object category:
- choosing one or more of the objects to pick up in the category;
- performing path planning from a current location of the robot to one or more of the objects to pick up;
- navigating to an adjacent point of one or more of the objects to pick up;
- actuating manipulators to open and close across a front of a bucket at a front end of the robot to move obstacles out of the way and manipulate the one or more objects onto the bucket,
- wherein the manipulators include a first manipulator member coupled to a first manipulator pivot point adjacent to a first front side of the bucket and a second manipulator member coupled to a second manipulator pivot point adjacent to a second front side of the bucket, and
- wherein the first manipulator pivot point allows the first manipulator member to open and close across the first front side of the bucket and the second manipulator pivot point allows the second manipulator member to open and close across the second front side of the bucket;
- one or both of tilting or raising the bucket and actuating the manipulators to retain the objects in the bucket;
- navigating the robot adjacent to the corresponding container for the category;
- aligning a back end of the robot with a side of the corresponding container;
- and
- raising the bucket over the robot and toward the back end of the robot to deposit retained objects in the corresponding container.
12 more elements
A robotic system comprising:
- a robot;
- a base station;
- a plurality of containers each associated with one or more object categories;
- a mobile application;
- and
- robotic control system logic configured to:
- navigate the robot around an environment comprising a plurality of objects to map a type, a size, and a location of objects;
- for each of the categories:
- choose one or more of the objects to pick up in the category;
- perform path planning to the objects to pick up;
- navigate to points adjacent to each of the objects to pick up;
- actuate manipulators to open and close across a front of a bucket at a front end of the robot to move obstacles out of the way and manipulate the one or more objects onto the bucket;
- wherein the manipulators include a first manipulator member coupled to a first manipulator pivot point adjacent to a first front side of the bucket and a second manipulator member coupled to a second manipulator pivot point adjacent to a second front side of the bucket, and
- wherein the first manipulator pivot point allows the first manipulator member to open and close across the first front side of the bucket and the second manipulator pivot point allows the second manipulator member to open and close across the second front side of the bucket;
- one or both of tilt and raise the bucket, and actuate the manipulators to retain the objects to pick up in the bucket;
- navigate the robot adjacent to the corresponding container for the category;
- align a back end of the robot with a side of the corresponding container;
- and
- raise the bucket over the robot and toward the back end of the robot along a path that is an arc from the front end of the robot to the back end of the robot above a chassis of the robot to deposit retained objects in the corresponding container.
16 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.