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US 2020/0346792 A1Published application
Picking, placing, and scanning bagged clothing and other articles
AssigneeSoft Robotics, Inc.
InventorsJeffrey Curhan, Brendan Cavanaugh, William GUNNER
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for picking polybagged articles includes targeting the polybagged article, placing a multistage gripper adjacent the polybagged article, tenting, pressing on, or suspending the polybagged article from the tenting tool, and gathering the polybagged article with a perimeter gripper.
Claims55
A gripper system for handling a bagged object, the bagged object having an article enclosed within a bag, comprising:
- a pinching gripper configured to clamp a pinched fold in the bag;
- a linear actuator configured to retract the pinching gripper and clamped pinched fold to form a tented bag above the article;
- and
- a resilient gripper including a plurality of resilient members located about the pinching gripper, the peripheral gripper configured to close the resilient members upon the tented bag.
1 more element
A gripper system for handling a bagged object, comprising:
- a grasp-type gripper including a plurality of resilient members, the resilient members actuatable by a first actuator to perform a grasping action;
- a pinching gripper including opposing clamping elements, the pinching gripper being actuatable by a second actuator to form a tented bag in the bagged object by forming a pinched fold between the clamping elements, clamping the pinched fold, and lifting the pinching gripper;
- and
- an actuator control system operatively connected to the first and second actuators, that sequentially commands the second actuator to form the tented bag and the first actuator to perform the grasping action upon the tented bag.
1 more element
A bagged object handling robot comprising:
- a grasper having a plurality of resilient members;
- a presence sensor;
- and
- a control system operatively connected to the presence detector and to the grasper,
- wherein the control system is configured to monitor the presence sensor for a response to a bagged object within the grasper, and to change the operation of the robot from a lighter object grasping mode in which the grasper closes fewer than all available resilient fingers upon a bagged object to a heavier object grasping mode in which the grasper closes all available resilient members upon a bagged object depending upon the response of the presence sensor to the bagged object in the lighter object grasping mode.
2 more elements
A method, comprising:
- locating, within a container, a bagged object including an article within a bag;
- pinching the bag with a pinching gripper to form a pinched fold;
- lifting the bag by the pinched fold to form a tented bag above the article;
- closing a first set of resilient members upon both the tented bag and article to secure the bagged object;
- transporting the bagged object from the container to a placing location;
- and
- placing the bagged object at the placing location.
4 more elements
A gripper system for handling a bagged object, comprising:
- a multiform gripper tool including:
- a pinching gripper configured to form a fold in a bag of the bagged object and to clamp upon the fold,
- an actuator configured to lift the pinching gripper together with the clamped fold, and
- a peripheral gripper including a first set of resilient members arranged about the pinching gripper and configured to close the resilient members about the lifted clamped fold;
- and
- an actuator array connected to selectively actuate one or more of the pinching gripper, actuator, or peripheral gripper of the multiform tool.
3 more elements
A gripper system for handling a bagged object, comprising:
- a pinching gripper mounted to a linear actuator below a palm, the pinching gripper configured to form a fold in the bagged object below the palm, pinch the formed fold, and to be retracted by the linear actuator toward the palm;
- a resilient grasper mounted to the palm and configured to grasp the bagged object about the pinching gripper and below the retracted formed fold, the grasper having a first set of resilient members separated from one another configured to close toward the pinching gripper;
- a presence detector carried by the gripper base and configured to respond to the successful grasp of a of a bagged object by the resilient grasper below the retracted formed fold;
- and
- a control circuit in electrical communication with the manipulator and configured to close the pinching gripper, retract the pinching gripper, close the resilient grasper, and in response to occlusion of the presence sensor by a bagged object, control the manipulator to maneuver the bagged object from the picking location to the placing location.
2 more elements
A bagged object picking robot, comprising
- a manipulator;
- a palm movable by the manipulator;
- a linear actuator mounted to the palm and configured to extend from and retract toward the palm;
- a pinching gripper mounted to the linear actuator below the palm, the pinching gripper configured to form a fold in the bagged object below the palm, pinch the formed fold, and to be retracted by the linear actuator toward the palm;
- a resilient grasper mounted to the palm and configured to grasp the bagged object about the pinching gripper and below the retracted formed fold, the grasper having a first set of resilient members separated from one another configured to close toward the pinching gripper;
- a presence detector carried by the gripper base and configured to respond to the successful grasp of a of a bagged object by the resilient grasper below the retracted formed fold;
- and
- a control circuit in electrical communication with the manipulator and configured to close the pinching gripper, retract the pinching gripper, close the resilient grasper, and in response to occlusion of the presence sensor by a bagged object, control the manipulator to maneuver the bagged object from the picking location to the placing location.
5 more elements
A method comprising:
- locating a bagged object, the bagged object including a bag enclosing an article;
- forming a pinched fold in the bag with a multiform gripper;
- lifting the pinched fold with the multiform gripper to form a tented bag above the article;
- and
- closing first resilient members of the multiform gripper upon the tented bag to secure the bagged object, wherein the bag remains substantially tented above the article during the closing of the first resilient members, wherein the securing includes holding the bag by the pinched fold and by the resilient members, and wherein the securing resists the bagged object slipping from the multiform gripper while the multiform gripper and bagged object are being swung by a manipulator arm.
2 more elements
A method for handling bagged objects within containers, comprising:
- identifying, via a height scanner, a peaked portion of a bagged object within one of the containers, the bagged object including an article within a bag;
- forming and pinching, via a pinching gripper, a pinched fold in the bag substantially at the location of the peaked portion;
- tenting, via the pinching gripper, the bag above the article by lifting the pinched fold;
- grasping, via a grasping gripper, the tented bag and article together by closing resilient members upon the tented bag while the pinched fold remains pinched by the pinching gripper;
- transporting, via a manipulator, the bagged object from the container to a placing location and placing the bagged object;
- scanning, via a standoff bar code scanner, the bagged object so placed;
- and
- recirculating a portion of scanned bagged objects from the placing location to one of the containers from which the bagged objects are handled.
5 more elements
A method for handling bagged objects in containers, comprising:
- performing a pick and place cycle completing in a first cycle time, each pick and place cycle including picking a bagged object from a pile in a container and placing the bagged object in a drop zone, in which the drop zone is occupied with the bagged object for a first interval but is unoccupied for a second interval;
- performing a scanning cycle completing in a second cycle time, each scanning cycle conveying the bagged object from the drop zone through a scan station and flagging the bagged object as one of a recognized or an unrecognized article;
- performing a recirculation cycle completing in a third cycle time, each recirculation cycle conveying the bagged object, if flagged as an unrecognized article, back to the drop zone, wherein the second cycle time and the third cycle time complete together in less time than the second interval of the first cycle time, so that the bagged object flagged as an unrecognized article may be recirculated and rescanned during a subsequent pick and place cycle, in the second interval of the first cycle time, in which the drop zone is unoccupied.
A method for handling bagged objects in containers, comprising:
- performing a pick and place cycle, completing in a first cycle time, each pick and place cycle including picking a capture from bagged objects in a pile and placing the capture in a drop zone, in which the drop zone is occupied with the capture for a first interval but is unoccupied for a second interval;
- performing a scanning cycle completing in a second cycle time, each scanning cycle conveying the capture from the drop zone through a scan station and flagging the capture as one of a singulated bagged object or a unsingulated plurality of bagged objects;
- performing a recirculation cycle completing in a third cycle time, each recirculation cycle conveying the capture, if flagged as an unsingulated plurality of bagged objects, back to the pile,
- wherein the second cycle time and the third cycle time complete together in less time than the second interval of the first cycle time, so that the capture flagged as an unsingulated plurality of bagged objects may be repicked and rescanned during a subsequent pick and place cycle, in the second interval of the first cycle time, in which the drop zone is unoccupied.
1 more element
A method for handling bagged objects in containers, comprising:
- performing a pick and place cycle including:
- gripping a bagged object at a pick station,
- swinging a robotic manipulator arm bearing the bagged object,
- placing the bagged object in a drop zone,
- and swinging the robotic manipulator arm back to the pick station,
- wherein the drop zone is occupied with the bagged object for a first interval of the pick and place cycle but is unoccupied for a second interval of the pick and place cycle;
- and
- performing a scanning and recirculation cycle, each scanning and recirculation cycle conveying the bagged object from the drop zone through a scan station and conveying unrecognized bagged objects back to the drop zone,
- wherein the scanning and recirculation cycle completes in less time than the second interval of the pick and place cycle, so that each unrecognized bagged object may be recirculated and rescanned during a subsequent pick and place cycle in which the drop zone is unoccupied but in which the robotic manipulator arm and the multiform gripper are at least in part occupied.
6 more elements
A method for handling bagged objects in containers, comprising:
- attempting to scan the first bagged object
- swinging the first bagged object with the robot manipulator arm from a tote toward a drop zone;
- delivering the first bagged object to a drop zone;
- swinging the robot manipulator arm back toward the tote;
- conveying the bagged object through a code scanning station;
- receiving a second bagged object delivered by a robotic manipulator arm;
- scanning the bagged object as it is conveyed through the code scanning station;
- and
- manipulating unsuccessfully scanned bagged objects to present different poses to the code scanning station.
6 more elements
A method for handling bagged objects in containers, comprising:
- receiving a bagged object delivered by a robotic gripper to a drop zone of a conveyor;
- conveying the bagged object through a code scanning station;
- scanning the bagged object as it is conveyed through the code scanning station;
- and
- manipulating unsuccessfully scanned bagged objects to present different poses to the code scanning station.
2 more elements
A method for picking polybagged articles, comprising:
- targeting the polybagged article
- placing a multistage gripper adjacent the polybagged article
- contacting a tenting tool of the multistage gripper to the polybagged article
- tenting a portion of the polybagged article
- suspending the polybagged article from the tenting tool
- gathering the polybagged article with a perimeter gripper
- lifting the polybagged article with at least one of the tenting tool and the perimeter gripper.
4 more elements
A method for picking polybagged articles, comprising:
- targeting the polybagged article
- placing a multistage gripper adjacent the polybagged article
- contacting a tenting tool of the multistage gripper to the polybagged article
- pressing the tenting tool into a portion of the polybagged article
- gathering the polybagged article with a perimeter gripper;
- and
- lifting the polybagged article with at least one of the tenting tool and the perimeter gripper.
4 more elements
A method for picking polybagged articles, comprising:
- targeting the polybagged article
- placing a multistage gripper adjacent the polybagged article
- contacting a tenting tool of the multistage gripper to the polybagged article
- in a first mode, suspending the polybagged article from the tenting tool
- in a second mode, pressing the tenting tool into the polybagged article
- gathering the polybagged article with a perimeter gripper;
- and
- lifting the polybagged article with at least one of the tenting tool and the perimeter gripper.
5 more elements
A gripper suitable for picking polybagged articles, comprising:
- a gripper carriage;
- a tenting tool supported by the gripper carriage, the tenting tool capable of pinching a thin article in a folded state between at least two compliant fingers;
- and
- a perimeter gripper supported by the gripper carriage, the perimeter gripper capable of gathering a thin article in a folded state among at least three compliant fingers surrounding the tenting tool.
1 more element
An automated robotic system for picking polybagged articles, comprising:
- a controller;
- a multi-axis robotic arm;
- a gripper carriage secured as an end-of-arm tool to the robotic arm;
- a tenting tool supported by the gripper carriage, the tenting tool capable of pinching a thin article in a folded state between at least two compliant fingers;
- and
- a perimeter gripper supported by the gripper carriage, the perimeter gripper capable of gathering a thin article in a folded state among at least three compliant fingers surrounding the tenting tool.
3 more elements
A method for handling bagged objects from a supply, comprising:
- identifying a peaked portion among a plurality of bagged objects, each bagged object including an article within a bag;
- forming and pinching a pinched fold substantially at the location of the peaked portion;
- forming a grasp about the pinched fold while the pinched fold remains pinched;
- transporting any bagged objects within the grasp to a drop zone;
- conveying any bagged objects from the drop zone;
- separating any bagged objects by tugging a leading bagged object with a faster conveyance while a trailing bagged object lags restrained by a slower conveyance;
- detecting when more than one bagged object is conveyed from the drop zone;
- and
- recirculating the bagged objects to the supply from which the bagged objects are handled.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.