Systems and methods for providing singulation of objects for processing using object movement redistribution

A method of processing objects, said method comprising:

• indiscriminately engaging and lifting a subset of a plurality of in-feed objects from an in-feed contained area by a first conveyor;
• indiscriminately depositing the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects by the first conveyor at a first end of a second conveyor;
• detecting by a first perception unit the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects on the second conveyor as the second conveyor moves in a first direction and providing in-feed perception data responsive thereto;
• selecting certain selected objects of the plurality of in-feed objects detected by the first perception unit for redistribution on the second conveyor;
• redistributing the certain selected objects on the second conveyor by moving the certain selected objects, using an end effector of a programmable motion device, to provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor, each object of the singulated stream of objects being provided one per a predefined zone on the second conveyor, said predefined zone being provided as one of a plurality of zones;
• passing each object of the singulated stream of objects from the second conveyor through a drop scanner towards a third conveyor, the drop scanner including a plurality of perception units that provide singulated perception data for identifying each object of the singulated stream of objects;
• and
• directing each object of the singulated stream of objects by a diverter toward a destination location based on the singulated perception data.

An object processing system comprising:

• an in-feed contained area providing a plurality of in-feed objects;
• a first conveyor for indiscriminately engaging and lifting a subset of the plurality of in-feed objects from the in-feed contained area;
• a second conveyor including a first end onto which the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects are indiscriminately deposited;
• a first perception unit for detecting the subset of the plurality of in-feed objects on the second conveyor as the second conveyor moves in a first direction and for providing in-feed perception data responsive thereto;
• a controller for selecting certain selected objects of the plurality of in-feed objects for redistribution on the second conveyor;
• a programmable motion device for redistributing the certain selected objects on the second conveyor by moving the certain selected objects, using an end effector of the programmable motion device, to provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor, each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects being provided one per a predefined zone on the second conveyor, said predefined zone being provided as one of a plurality of zones;
• a drop scanner for receiving each object of the singulated stream of objects as the singulated stream of objects are provided towards a third conveyor, the drop scanner including a plurality of perception units that provide singulated perception data for identifying each object of the singulated stream of objects;
• and
• a diverter for directing each of the objects of the singulated stream of objects toward a destination location of a plurality destination locations based on the singulated perception data.