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US 2025/0313407 A1Published application
Restocking robot
AssigneeEmancro Robotics Corp.
InventorsFrederik Ebert, Donglei Cal
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
In some examples, a restocking robot comprises a mobile base controllable to navigate to an inventory unit at a restocking location, a robot cabinet supported by the mobile base, the robot cabinet including a receptacle for holding a restocking item for the inventory unit. A robot arm is controllable to engage with and open the receptacle of the robot cabinet and retrieve therefrom a restocking item for restocking the inventory unit. The robot arm includes an end effector mounted to the robot arm. The end effector is controllable to move the restocking item retrieved from the receptacle of the robot cabinet into the inventory unit at the restocking location.
Claims27
A restocking robot comprising:
- a mobile base controllable to navigate to an inventory unit at a restocking location;
- a robot cabinet supported by the mobile base, the robot cabinet including a receptacle for holding a restocking item for the inventory unit;
- a robot arm controllable to engage with and open the receptacle of the robot cabinet and retrieve therefrom a restocking item for restocking the inventory unit;
- and
- the robot arm including an end effector mounted to the robot arm, wherein the end effector is controllable to move the restocking item retrieved from the receptacle of the robot cabinet into the inventory unit at the restocking location.
2 more elements
A method of restocking an inventory unit, the method including:
- providing a restocking robot, the restocking robot comprising:
- a mobile base controllable to navigate to the inventory unit at a restocking location;
- a robot cabinet supported by the mobile base, the robot cabinet including a receptacle;
- a robot arm controllable to engage with and open the receptacle of the robot cabinet and retrieve therefrom a restocking item for restocking the inventory unit;
- and
- the robot arm including an end effector controllable to move the restocking item retrieved from the receptacle of the robot cabinet into the inventory unit at the restocking location;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to move to the restocking location;
- and
- directing or configuring the end effector to move the retrieved restocking item into the inventory unit.
6 more elements
A method of restocking an inventory unit, the method comprising:
- providing a restocking robot, the restocking robot including a mobile base, a robot arm, an end effector, and a robot drawer included in a robot cabinet supported on the mobile base;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to navigate to a carousel system supplying items of medication or medical supply;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to pull a bin containing an item of medication or medical supply from the carousel system;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to take a desired quantity of the item of medication or medical supply from the bin and place the desired quantity of the item of medication or medical supply into the robot drawer;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to close or load the robot drawer into the robot cabinet;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to navigate along a restocking route to the inventory unit;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to log into or authenticate with the inventory unit;
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to open or a drawer of the inventory unit;
- and
- directing or configuring the restocking robot to restock the drawer of the inventory unit with the desired quantity of the item of medication or medical supply.
7 more elements
A method of restocking medication trays, the method comprising:
- providing a restocking robot, the restocking robot including a mobile base, a robot arm, an end effector, a scanning camera, a transition flap, and a robot drawer included in a robot cabinet supported on the mobile base;
- receiving a request to restock a medication tray carried in a medication tray cart;
- moving the restocking robot adjacent the medication tray cart;
- directing the restocking robot to pull the medication tray onto the transition flap of the restocking robot;
- directing the restocking robot to place the pulled medication tray into an RFID scanning device;
- directing the RFID scanning device to scan contents of the medication tray placed therein;
- after RFID scanning, directing the restocking robot to remove the medication tray from the RFID scanning device;
- directing the scanning camera of the restocking robot to take a picture of the contents of the medication tray to generate tray content data;
- analyzing, by a trained AI-model, the tray content data to determine an identity of items in the contents of the medication tray;
- based at least on the received restock request, combining data generated by the RFID scanning and trained AI-model analysis to determine items missing from or incorrectly present on the medication tray;
- directing the restocking robot to add missing items to the medication tray, or remove items incorrectly present on the medication tray;
- and
- directing the restocking robot to place the medication tray back into the medication tray cart.
10 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.