Training artificial networks for robotic picking

A system comprising:

• a robotic picking device, the robotic picking device comprising:
• a picking element;
• and
• a perturbation element;
• one or more computer-readable storage media;
• a processing system operatively coupled to the one or more computer-readable storage media;
• and
• program instructions, stored on the one or more computer-readable storage media, for training a neural network, wherein the program instructions, when read and executed by the processing system, direct the processing system to:
• perform, with the robotic picking device, an attempt to pick up an item at a first region on the item, wherein the first region corresponds to a first group of pixels;
• in response to a determination that the attempt was unsuccessful, generalize information about the first region, wherein the generalized information about the first region includes characteristics of the first region and an associated probability of producing the unsuccessful attempt based on the characteristics;
• transfer the generalized information about the first region to one or more other regions on the item, wherein to transfer the generalized information, the program instructions direct the processing system to indicate a probability of failure associated with at least one different region corresponding to a different group of pixels, the at least one different region having one or more same characteristics as the first region;
• identify a perturbation strategy for repositioning the item based on the characteristics and perform the perturbation strategy with a perturbation element of the robotic picking device;
• identify a second region on the item at which to attempt to pick up the item, wherein the second region is distinct from the first region and corresponds to a second group of pixels lacking at least one characteristic of the first group of pixels;
• perform, with the robotic picking device, a second attempt to pick up the item at the second region on the item;
• and
• upon determining that the second attempt to pick up the item was unsuccessful, perform a third attempt to pick up the item at either the first region or the second region on the item.