US 9,733,646 B1Granted

Heterogeneous fleet of robots for collaborative object processing

AssigneeX Development LLC

InventorsStefan Nusser, Troy Straszheim, John Zevenbergen, Ethan Rublee

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Abstract

Example systems and methods may provide for a heterogeneous fleet of robotic devices for collaborative object processing in an environment, such as a warehouse. An example system includes a plurality of mobile robotic devices configured to transport one or more objects within an environment, a fixed robotic manipulator positioned within the environment that is configured to manipulate one or more objects within an area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator, and a control system. The control system may be configured to cause one or more of the plurality of mobile robotic devices to deliver at least one object to at least one location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator, and to cause the fixed robotic manipulator to distribute the at least one object to a different one or more of the plurality of mobile robotic devices for delivery to one or more other locations within the environment.

Claims18

Dependent claims

A system, comprising:

a fixed robotic manipulator positioned within an environment that is configured to manipulate one or more objects within an area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;
a first mobile robotic device that is configured to:
receive, from a global control system, instructions to deliver an object to within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;
receive, from at least one sensor on the first mobile robotic device, first sensor data indicative of a surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;
process, by a local control system of the first mobile robotic device, the received first sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find an available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;
and
navigate to the available location with the object to be moved by the fixed robotic manipulator;
and
a second mobile robotic device that is configured to:
receive, from the global control system, instructions to navigate to within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator to receive the object;
receive, from at least one sensor on the second mobile robotic device, second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;
process, by a local control system of the second mobile robotic device, the received second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find a different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator, and
navigate to the different available location to receive the object from the fixed robotic manipulator for delivery to another location within the environment, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator and the second mobile robotic device are further configured to perform a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the second mobile robotic device identify one or more visual tags on each other to facilitate moving of the object by the fixed robotic manipulator onto the second mobile robotic device.

10 more elements

A method, comprising:

receiving, by a first mobile robotic device from a global control system, instructions to deliver an object to within an area of reach of a fixed robotic manipulator, wherein the fixed robotic manipulator is positioned within an environment;
receiving, by the first mobile robotic device from at least one sensor on the first mobile robotic device, first sensor data indicative of a surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;
processing, by a local control system of the first mobile robotic device, the received first sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find an available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;
navigating, by the first mobile robotic device, to the available location with the object to be moved by the fixed robotic manipulator;
receiving, by a second mobile robotic device from the global control system, instructions to navigate to within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator to receive the object;
receiving, by the second mobile robotic device from at least one sensor on the second mobile robotic device, second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator;
processing, by a local control system of the second mobile robotic device, the received second sensor data indicative of the surrounding area of the fixed robotic manipulator to find a different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;
navigating, by the second mobile robotic device, to the different available location to receive the object from the fixed robotic manipulator;
performing, by the fixed robotic manipulator and the second mobile robotic device, a visual handshake in which the fixed robotic manipulator and the second mobile robotic device identify one or more visual tags on each other to facilitate moving of the object by the fixed robotic manipulator onto the second mobile robotic device;
moving, by the fixed robotic manipulator, the object onto the second mobile robotic device located at the different available location within the area of reach of the fixed robotic manipulator;
and
transporting, by the second mobile robotic device, the object to another location within the environment.

9 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.