Double acting fluidic cylinder for material handling

A robot arm for acquiring a plurality of irregular articles from one selected from a truck trailer, a shipping container, and a warehouse by passively conforming the robot arm to the plurality of irregular articles, wherein the robot arm comprises:

• a mobile body with the robotic arm mounted on the mobile body;
• a plurality of retractable and extendable dual acting cylinders attached to a movable end of the robotic arm, each comprising:
• a front chamber, a rear chamber, and a vacuum cup for acquiring articles;
• and
• a controller to switchably connect each front chamber and each rear chamber to a selected one of pressurized air and atmospheric air pressure,
• wherein when the controller connects the front chambers to pressurized air, and connects the rear chambers to atmospheric air pressure, the dual acting cylinders are configured to retract the vacuum cups,
• wherein when the controller connects the front chambers to atmospheric air pressure and connects the rear chambers to pressurized air, the dual acting cylinders are configured to extend the vacuum cups, and
• wherein when the controller connects the front chamber and the rear chamber of the extended vacuum cups to atmospheric air pressure, the dual acting cylinders are configured to passively conform to the irregular articles, and when the controller moves the robot arm distally to contact the irregular articles with the vacuum cups, each of the passively configured dual acting cylinders passively and proximally retracts from contact of the vacuum cup with a respective irregular article, and passively conforms the plurality of vacuum cups and dual acting cylinders to the plurality of irregular articles.

A robot arm for acquiring a plurality of-irregular articles from one selected from a truck trailer, a shipping container, and a warehouse by passively conforming the robot arm to the plurality of irregular articles, wherein the robot arm comprises:

• a manipulator attached to a free end of the robot arm;
• a plurality of dual acting cylinders attached to the manipulator;
• and
• a vacuum cup for acquiring articles attached to an extendable and retractable end of each dual acting cylinder;
• wherein the dual acting cylinders have a front chamber and a rear chamber and when the dual acting cylinders are configured to be proximally passively moved, the front chambers and the rear chambers are open to atmospheric air pressure and
• wherein when the dual acting cylinders are configured to be proximally passively moved and the robot arm moves at least some of the plurality of vacuum cups into acquiring contact with the plurality of irregular articles, each dual acting cylinder connected to a contacting vacuum cup retracts from the contact to passively conform to the plurality of irregular articles.

A method of acquiring articles with a manipulator of a robot arm by passively conforming the manipulator to a plurality of irregular articles comprising:

• providing a plurality of dual acting cylinders attached to the manipulator;
• extending the plurality of dual acting cylinders from the manipulator by pressurizing rear chambers thereof;
• preparing dual acting cylinders to be proximally passively moved by opening front
• passively holding the vacuum cups in place with a magnet;
• providing suction to a vacuum cup on an extendable and retractable end of each dual acting cylinder;
• moving the manipulator distally with the robot arm to passively conform to the plurality of irregular articles, the movement causing each dual acting cylinder to passively and proximally retract from contact of the vacuum cups with a respective irregular article and to passively conform the vacuum cups and dual acting cylinders to the plurality of irregular articles.

A method of acquiring articles with a manipulator of a robot arm by passively conforming the manipulator to a plurality of irregular articles comprising:

• attaching the robot arm to an autonomous vehicle
• providing a plurality of dual acting cylinders attached to the manipulator;
• extending the plurality of dual acting cylinders from the manipulator by pressurizing rear chambers thereof;
• preparing dual acting cylinders to be proximally passively moved by opening front chambers and rear chambers to atmosphere;
• providing suction to a vacuum cup on n extendable and retractable end of each dual acting cylinder;
• moving the manipulator distally with the robot arm to passively conform to the plurality of irregular articles, the movement causing each dual acting cylinder to passively and proximally retract from contact of the vacuum cups with a respective irregular article and to passively conform the vacuum cups and dual acting cylinders to the plurality of irregular articles.

A method of acquiring articles with a manipulator of a robot arm by passively conforming the manipulator to a plurality of irregular articles comprising:

• providing a plurality of dual acting cylinders attached to the manipulator;
• extending the plurality of dual acting cylinders from the manipulator by pressurizing rear chambers thereof;
• preparing dual acting cylinders to be proximally passively moved by opening front chambers and rear chambers to atmosphere;
• providing suction to a vacuum cup on an extendable and retractable end of each dual acting cylinder;
• moving the manipulator distally with the robot arm to passively conform to the plurality of irregular articles, the movement causing each dual acting cylinder to passively and proximally retract from contact of the vacuum cups with a respective irregular article and to passively conform the vacuum cups and dual acting cylinders to the plurality of irregular articles
• coordinating autonomous movement of the robotic arm with a controller during the unloading and loading of articles.