Method and system for monitoring a container fullness
AssigneeVicarious FPC, Inc.
InventorLuke Whitiker
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
The system can include: a container 110, a set of sensors 120, and a controller 130. The system can optionally include a robot 140. However, the system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to monitor and/or maintain a fullness level of a container. The system can additionally or alternatively function to enable robotic picking out of the container (e.g., in a pick-and-place setting). The system can additionally function to maintain candidate objects within reach of the robot's end effector to increase robot uptime while minimizing the extent of the robot's required motion (e.g., in the z-axis).
Claims21
A method for robotic picking, comprising:
- a) sampling an image depicting a pile of objects within a container, wherein the container comprises a set of static walls and an actuatable floor;
- b) determining a set of object parameters for each object within the image;
- c) selecting a candidate object to grasp based on the set of object parameters;
- d) controlling a robot arm to grasp the candidate object;
- e) when no candidate object is selected, monotonically raising the actuatable floor until a height of an upper object satisfies a height condition;
- and
- f) repeating a)-e) until a stop condition is met.
A system for a robotic picking within a picking workspace, the system comprising:
- a frame;
- a lift mechanism having a fixed end mounted to the frame and a transformable end defining a lift axis;
- a set of container walls fixed to the frame and defining an interior having a uniform cross-section along the lift axis between a base end and a lip;
- and
- a container floor mounted to the transformable end and arranged within the interior of the set of container walls between the base end and the lip, wherein the set of container walls and the container floor cooperatively define a container working volume having a working depth extending between the lip and the container floor along the lift axis, wherein the working depth extends beyond a picking workspace of a robotic arm.
A method for robotic picking, comprising:
- using a multi-axis robot, picking a first set of objects out of a container, the container comprising a set of walls and a container floor defining a working depth relative to a lip of the set of walls;
- determining satisfaction of a minimum fullness threshold of the container;
- and
- responsive to a satisfaction of the minimum fullness threshold of the container, transforming the container floor relative to the set of walls using a lift mechanism to modify the working depth.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.