Visual perception and techniques for placing inventory into pods with a robotic workcell

An inventory system comprising:

• a plurality of sensors disposed within a robotic workcell;
• an inventory holder comprising a plurality of containers, wherein each of the plurality of containers comprises a plurality of retaining elements extending across an opening of the container;
• a robotic apparatus comprising a plurality of end effector tools;
• and
• a controller configured to perform an operation for stowing an item into one of the plurality of containers using the robotic apparatus, the operation comprising:
• capturing, via the plurality of sensors, a first image of the inventory holder;
• generating, from the first image, a plurality of second images, wherein each second image is an image of a different container of the plurality of containers;
• determining a plurality of displacement locations for the plurality of containers, based on the plurality of second images, wherein each displacement location corresponds to a location within the respective container for placing a first end effector tool of the plurality of end effector tools to displace the plurality of retaining elements extending across the opening of the container;
• determining a plurality of content signatures for the plurality of containers, based on the plurality of second images, wherein each content signature includes an indication of one or more regions within the container available for stowing an item into the container;
• generating a match result comprising at least (i) an indication of a first container of the plurality of containers in which to stow a first item, (ii) a grasping strategy for grasping the first item, and (iii) a placement strategy for placing the first item into the one or more regions of the first container using a second end effector tool of the plurality of end effector tools;
• controlling the first end effector tool to displace the plurality of retaining elements extending across the opening of the first container at the displacement location corresponding to the first container;
• controlling the second end effector tool to grasp the first item using the grasping strategy;
• and
• controlling the second end effector tool to place the first item that is grasped into the one of the one or more regions of the first container using the placement strategy.