Robotic system to load and unload trucks and other containers

A method of controlling a robotic system comprising a robotic arm robotic arm comprising a base and a set of serially connected links and joints connected to the base at a proximal end and terminating at a free moving distal end, and an enabler joint assembly comprising a mounting location at which the base of the robotic arm is mounted and having a rotational axis, offset from the mounting location, about which the enabler joint assembly is configured to rotate the mounting location, the method comprising using a processor to control the robotic arm and the enabler joint assembly, including by using the enabler joint assembly to position the robotic arm to operate within an extended operating space defined by a reach of the robotic arm as extended by the enabler joint assembly.

A computer program product, embodied in a non-transitory computer readable medium, to control a robotic system comprising a robotic arm comprising a base and a set of serially connected links and joints connected to the base at a proximal end and terminating at a free moving distal end, and an enabler joint assembly comprising a mounting location at which the base of the robotic arm is mounted and having a rotational axis, offset from the mounting location, about which the enabler joint assembly is configured to rotate the mounting location, the computer program product comprising computer instructions to control the robotic arm and the enabler joint assembly, including by using the enabler joint assembly to position the robotic arm to operate within an extended operating space defined by a reach of the robotic arm as extended by the enabler joint assembly.