Systems and methods for picking up and transferring items using a robotic device

A method for picking up and transferring a variety of different types of merchandise in shopping facilities, the method comprising:

• providing a merchandise order assembly area in a shopping facility configured for assembly of part or all of a merchandise order;
• retrieving and transporting merchandise to the merchandise order assembly area;
• capturing images of a merchandise item being transported to the merchandise order assembly area;
• by at least one robotic device at the merchandise order assembly area, picking up and moving the merchandise item, the at least one robotic device including a plurality of end effectors mounted to the at least one robotic device, each type of end effector configured to engage predetermined surfaces of different types of merchandise;
• storing a plurality of records of merchandise at the shopping facility, each merchandise record identifying a set of surface areas on the merchandise corresponding to each end effector and suitable for engagement with the corresponding end effector;
• by a control circuit:
• identifying the merchandise item being transported to the merchandise order assembly area;
• receiving the images of the merchandise item being transported to the merchandise order assembly area;
• determining, from the images, an orientation of the merchandise item relative to the at least one robotic device;
• determining the set of surface areas of the merchandise item suitable for engagement with end effectors;
• choosing one of the set of surface areas of the merchandise item suitable for engagement based, at least in part, on the orientation of the merchandise item relative to the at least one robotic device;
• selecting one of the plurality of end effectors of the at least one robotic device to be used to engage the merchandise item;
• instructing movement of the at least one robotic device so as to cause the selected end effector to engage the chosen surface area of the merchandise item;
• and
• instructing, following engagement of the selected end effector with the chosen surface area of the merchandise item, movement of the at least one robotic device to transfer the merchandise item to a receiving location.

A system for picking up and transferring a variety of different types of merchandise, the system comprising:

• an image sensor configured to capture images of a merchandise item;
• at least one robotic device configured to pick up and move the merchandise item, the at least one robotic device including a plurality of end effectors mounted to the at least one robotic device, each type of end effector configured to engage predetermined surfaces of different types of merchandise;
• a merchandise database containing a plurality of records of merchandise, each merchandise record identifying a set of surface areas on the merchandise corresponding to each end effector and suitable for engagement with the corresponding end effector;
• a control circuit communicatively coupled to the image sensor, the at least one robotic device, and the merchandise database, the control circuit configured to:
• identify the merchandise item;
• receive, from the image sensor, the images of the merchandise item;
• determine, from the images, an orientation of the merchandise item relative to the at least one robotic device;
• determine, from the merchandise database, the set of surface areas of the merchandise item suitable for engagement with end effectors;
• choose one of the set of surface areas of the merchandise item suitable for engagement based, at least in part, on the orientation of the merchandise item relative to the at least one robotic device;
• select one of the plurality of end effectors of the at least one robotic device to be used to engage the merchandise item;
• instruct movement of the at least one robotic device so as to cause the selected end effector to engage the chosen surface area of the merchandise item;
• and
• instruct, following engagement of the selected end effector with the chosen surface area of the merchandise item, movement of the at least one robotic device to transfer the merchandise item to a receiving location.