Control device and method for a robot system

A system comprising:

• an organised point cloud generator arranged to generate an organised point cloud of at least one storage means including at least one object;
• a robot system including a suction cup end effector arranged to grasp the at least one object from the at least one storage means;
• and
• a control device connectable to an organised point cloud generator, the organised point cloud generator arranged to generate an organised point cloud of the at least one storage means, the control device including:
• a surface calculating means arranged to calculate normals of the organised point cloud and principal curvatures of the organised point cloud;
• and
• a grasp point calculating means arranged to calculate a grasp point for the suction cup end effector of the robot system to grasp the at least one object from the at least one storage means based on the organised point cloud, the calculated normals of the organised point cloud, the calculated principal curvatures of the organised point cloud and a normal of a lower surface of the storage means, without using a predetermined representative model of the object arranged to control the robot system based on the calculated grasp points without using a predetermined representative model of the object.

A storage system comprising:

• a first set of parallel rails or tracks extending in an X-direction, and a second set of parallel rails or tracks extending in a Y-direction transverse to the first set in a substantially horizontal plane to form a grid pattern comprising a plurality of grid spaces;
• a plurality of stacks of containers located beneath the rails, and arranged such that each stack is located within a footprint of a single grid space;
• at least one transporting device, the at least one transporting device being arranged to selectively move in the X and/or Y directions, above the stacks on the rails and arranged to transport a container;
• a picking station arranged to receive a container transported by the at least one transporting device;
• and
• a system including:
• an organised point cloud generator arranged to generate an organised point cloud of a container including at least one object;
• a robot system including a suction cup end effector arranged to grasp the at least one object from the container;
• and
• a control device connectable to an organised point cloud generator, the organised point cloud generator arranged to generate an organised point cloud of the container, the control device including:
• a surface calculating means arranged to calculate normals of the organised point cloud and principal curvatures of the organised point cloud;
• and
• a grasp point calculating means arranged to calculate a grasp point for the suction cup end effector of the robot system to grasp the at least one object from the first storage means based on the organised point cloud, the calculated normals of the organised point cloud, the calculated principal curvatures of the organised point cloud and a normal of a lower surface of the storage means, without using a predetermined representative model of the object arranged to control the robot system based on the calculated grasp points without using a predetermined representative model of the object,
• wherein the system is arranged to grasp an object from the container.

A method of controlling a robot system, the robot system including a suction cup end effector and arranged to grasp at least one object from at least one storage means arranged to store the least one object, the method comprising the steps of:

• receiving, by a processor, an organised point cloud of the at least one storage means;
• calculating, by the processor, normals of the organised point cloud and principal curvatures of the organised point cloud;
• and
• calculating, by the processor, a grasp point for the suction cup end effector of the robot system to grasp the at least one object from the at least one storage means based on the organised point cloud, the calculated normals of the organised point cloud, the calculated principal curvatures of the organised point cloud and a normal of a lower surface of the storage means, without using a predetermined representative model of the object.