Bin-picking system for randomly positioned objects

A method for determining that a bin is free of recognized objects to be picked up by a robot, said robot being adapted to pick up an object, wherein said bin has axes of motion about which said bin can be tilted, the method comprising:

• providing said bin at a bin position;
• obtaining axis information concerning previous tilting of said bin about said axes of motion;
• determining if said bin has been tilted about all of said axes of motion using said axis information;
• acquiring an image of the content of said bin;
• identifying recognized objects in said bin using said image;
• if no recognized object is identified and if said bin has been tilted about all of said axes of motion, determining that said bin is free of recognized objects to be picked up;
• and
• if no recognized object is visible and if said bin has not been tilted about all of said axes of motion, tilting said bin about a remaining one of said axes of motion, putting back said bin at said bin position and repeating said steps of determining, acquiring and determining.

A method for selecting which object to pick up among at least one available object in a bin, said available object having a prehension feature adapted to allow a robot to pick up said available object, said robot being able to pick up said available object, the method comprising:

• acquiring a 3D image of said at least one available object in said bin;
• obtaining information concerning a visibility of said prehension feature of said at least one available object using said image;
• and
• selecting an object to be picked up using said information concerning visibility of said prehension feature among said at least one available object;
• determining if said prehensible object is in a state to be picked up by said robot;
• if, among said at least one available object, a prehensible object is determined to be in a state to be picked up, picking up said prehensible object by said robot using position information obtained from said image;
• and
• if no prehensible object is determined to be in a state to be picked up, displacing and putting said bin back at said bin location and repeating said steps of acquiring, obtaining, identifying, determining and one of picking up and displacing, putting and repeating.