Method for picking up an object by means of a robotic device

A control unit configured to control a robotic device to pick up an object, the control unit configured to:

• obtain at least one depth image of the object;
• determine, for each one of a plurality of points of the object, a value of a measure of a scattering of surface normal vectors in an area around the point of the object;
• supply the determined values to a neural network configured to output, in response to an input containing measured scattering values, an indication of object locations for pick-up;
• determine a location of the object for picking up the object from an output which the neural network outputs in response to the supply of the determined values;
• and
• control the robotic device to pick up the object at the determined location.

A non-transitory computer-readable medium on which are stored instructions for picking up an object using a robotic device, the instructions, when executed by a processor, causing the processor to perform the following steps:

• obtaining at least one depth image of the object;
• determining, for each one of a plurality of points of the object, a value of a measure of a scattering of surface normal vectors in an area around the point of the object;
• supplying the determined values to a neural network configured to output, in response to an input containing measured scattering values, an indication of object locations for pick-up;
• determining a location of the object for picking up the object from an output which the neural network outputs in response to the supply of the determined values;
• and
• controlling the robotic device to pick up the object at the determined location.