US 9,079,308 B2 · Robotic picking of parts from a bin

Abstract

A robot is used to pick parts from a bin. The robot has a compliant apparatus and one or more tools are connected to the apparatus to perform the picking. The compliant apparatus has mechanisms for monitoring and/or controlling its compliance. The compliant apparatus can have various embodiments. Force sensing can be used during removal of grasped parts from the bin to determine the force exerted on the picking tool(s). The signal indicative of the exerted force can be used by the robot controller to determine the weight of the parts that may be held by the picking tool(s). The robot has one or more devices which can be the picking tool to stir the parts in the bin.

Claims25

Dependent claims

A robot for picking from a bin one or more parts randomly distributed in said bin comprising:

a moveable arm;
a computing device connected to said robot for controlling motion of said moveable arm;
a tool connected to said moveable arm for picking one or more of said parts from said bin by first grasping one or more of said randomly distributed parts in said bin, said tool then operated to attempt one or more removals from said bin of said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool from said bin, said robot exerting a force during each operation of said tool to attempt one or more removals of said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool from said bin;
and
a sensor to provide a signal to said computing device indicative of said force exerted by said robot during each operation of said tool to attempt said one or more removals of said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool from said bin.

2 more elements

A robot for picking one or more parts randomly distributed in a bin comprising:

a moveable arm;
a computing device connected to said robot for controlling motion of said moveable arm;
and
a tool connected to said movable arm for picking one or more of said randomly distributed parts from said bin by first grasping one or more of said randomly distributed parts in said bin, said tool then operated to attempt to remove said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool from said bin, said robot exerting a force during said operation of said tool to attempt to remove said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool from said bin;
and
said robot including a sensor for providing a signal to said computing device indicative of said force exerted by said robot during said operation of said tool to attempt to remove said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool from said bin;
said computing device using said signal from said sensor indicative of said force exerted by said robot during said operation of said tool to attempt to remove said one or more randomly distributed parts in said bin grasped by said tool from said bin to first determine if said one or more randomly distributed parts in said bin grasped by said tool can be removed from said bin and if so to then determine the weight of said one or more randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool after said robot retracts said tool grasping said one or more randomly distributed parts from said bin and if said weight is indicative that said tool is grasping more than one of said randomly distributed parts moving said tool grasping more than one of said parts over said bin and activating said tool when over said bin to drop all but one of said randomly distributed parts grasped by said tool back into said bin.

4 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Robotic picking of parts from a bin

Life of this patent

Robotic picking of parts from a bin

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims25