Devices and methods for object manipulation
AssigneeWalmart Apollo, LLC
InventorsTomas A. Blodgett, Gerald J. Byers, Shane T. Shelbourn, Swetha Mahadevan
Life of this patent
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Abstract
In some embodiments, devices and methods are provided herein useful to grip, manipulate, and move an object. In some embodiments, an object manipulation device may include a base configured to be attached to a robotic manipulator, a tool conveyor coupled to the base, and a gripping tool having at least one gripping surface and coupled to the base via a gripping tool actuator. The tool conveyor may include a conveyor surface configured to move an object on the conveyor surface from a first edge to a second edge of the tool conveyor.
Claims20
An object manipulation device comprising:
- a base configured to be attached to a robotic manipulator;
- a tool conveyor coupled to the base, the tool conveyor having a conveyor surface configured to move an object on the conveyor surface from a first edge to a second edge of the tool conveyor;
- and
- a gripping tool having at least one gripping surface and coupled to the base via a gripping tool actuator;
- wherein the gripping tool actuator is configured to extend a gripping surface of the gripping tool to grip the object and retract the gripping surface to release the object onto the tool conveyor.
An object manipulation method, the method comprising:
- moving, with a robotic manipulator, an object manipulation device toward an object to be gripped, the object manipulation device comprising a base configured to be attached to the robotic manipulator, a tool conveyor coupled to the base, and a gripping tool coupled, via a gripping tool actuator, to the base;
- contacting a first gripping surface of the gripping tool to a surface of the object to be gripped;
- gripping, with the gripping tool, the object;
- moving, with the gripping tool, the object onto a conveyor surface of the tool conveyor;
- and
- moving, with the tool conveyor, the object on the conveyor surface of the tool conveyor toward an object-release location.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.