Robotic arm with improved tracking

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10104863-B1
Application number	US-201815948645-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Apr 9, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2018
Publication date	Oct 23, 2018
Grant date	Oct 23, 2018

Abstract

An apparatus includes a carriage, camera, spray tool, and controller. The carriage is movably coupled to a track. The camera and spray tool are coupled to the carriage. The controller moves the carriage along the track away from a starting position based on a first signal from the camera, and as the carriage moves away from the starting position, discharges, through the spray tool, a solution for a first time. The controller moves the carriage towards the starting position after the solution has been discharged for the first time, and based on a second signal from the camera as the carriage moves towards the starting position and before the carriage reaches the starting position, moves the carriage away from the starting position. As the carriage moves away from the starting position, the controller discharges, through the spray tool, the solution for a second time.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising:
a carriage movably coupled to a track;
a camera coupled to the carriage;
a spray tool coupled to the carriage; and
a controller configured to:
based on a first signal received from the camera, move the carriage along the track away from a starting position on the track;
as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the first signal, discharge, through the spray tool, a solution for a first time;
after the solution has been discharged for the first time, move the carriage along the track towards the starting position;
based on a second signal received from the camera as the carriage is moving back towards the starting position and before the carriage has reached the starting position, move the carriage along the track away from the starting position; and
as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the second signal, discharge, through the spray tool, the solution for a second time.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the first signal corresponds to a portion of a first dairy livestock and the second signal corresponds to a portion of a second dairy livestock.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to, as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the first signal and after the solution is discharged for the first time, reposition the spray tool and discharge, through the spray tool, the solution after the spray tool is repositioned.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a platform coupled to the carriage and positioned above the carriage, the platform having a length and a width orthogonal to the length, the length greater than the width, the platform comprising a front end and a back end, the platform configured to pivot such that the front end and the back end of the platform move vertically in opposite directions;
an extension member movably coupled to the platform, the extension member comprising a front end and a back end, the extension member having a longitudinal axis that extends from the front end of the extension member to the back end of the extension member and is parallel to the length of the platform, the spray tool coupled to the front end of the extension member; and
the controller is further configured to move the extension member towards the front end of the platform based on the first signal.

5. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the controller is further configured to retract the extension member towards the back end of the platform before moving the carriage back towards the starting position.

6. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the controller is further configured to move the carriage along the track towards the starting position after the solution has been discharged for the second time.

7. The apparatus of claim 6 , wherein the controller is further configured to wait for a third signal from the camera if the carriage reaches the starting position after the solution has been discharged for the second time.

8. A method comprising:
based on a first signal received from a camera, moving a carriage along a track away from a starting position on the track, the carriage movably coupled to the track, the camera coupled to the carriage;
as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the first signal, discharging, through a spray tool coupled to the carriage, a solution for a first time;
after the solution has been discharged for the first time, moving the carriage along the track towards the starting position;
based on a second signal received from the camera as the carriage is moving back towards the starting position and before the carriage has reached the starting position, moving the carriage along the track away from the starting position; and
as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the second signal, discharging, through the spray tool, the solution for a second time.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the first signal corresponds to a portion of a first dairy livestock and the second signal corresponds to a portion of a second dairy livestock.

10. The method of claim 8 , further comprising, as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the first signal and after the solution is discharged for the first time, repositioning the spray tool and discharging, through the spray tool, the solution after the spray tool is repositioned.

11. The method of claim 8 , further comprising:
pivoting a platform coupled to the carriage such that a front end and a back end of the platform move vertically in opposite directions, the platform positioned above the carriage, the platform having a length and a width orthogonal to the length, the length greater than the width;
moving an extension member towards the front end of the platform based on the first signal, the extension member movably coupled to the platform, the extension member comprising a front end and a back end, the extension member having a longitudinal axis that extends from the front end of the extension member to the back end of the extension member and is parallel to the length of the platform, the spray tool coupled to the front end of the extension member.

12. The method of claim 11 , further comprising retracting the extension member towards the back end of the platform before moving the carriage back towards the starting position.

13. The method of claim 8 , further comprising moving the carriage along the track towards the starting position after the solution has been discharged for the second time.

14. The method of claim 13 , further comprising waiting for a third signal from the camera if the carriage reaches the starting position after the solution has been discharged for the second time.

15. A system comprising:
a rotary; and
a robot comprising:
a carriage movably coupled to a track;
a camera coupled to the carriage;
a spray tool coupled to the carriage; and
a controller configured to:
based on a first signal received from the camera, move the carriage along the track away from a starting position on the track;
as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the first signal, discharge, through the spray tool, a solution for a first time;
after the solution has been discharged for the first time, move the carriage along the track towards the starting position;
based on a second signal received from the camera as the carriage is moving back towards the starting position and before the carriage has reached the starting position, move the carriage along the track away from the starting position; and
as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the second signal, discharge, through the spray tool, the solution for a second time.

16. The system of claim 15 , wherein the first signal corresponds to a portion of a first dairy livestock in the rotary and the second signal corresponds to a portion of a second dairy livestock in the rotary.

17. The system of claim 15 , wherein the controller is further configured to, as the carriage is moving away from the starting position based on the first signal and after the solution is discharged for the first time, reposition the spray tool and discharge, through the spray tool, the solution after the spray tool is repositioned.

18. The system of claim 15 , further comprising:
a platform coupled to the carriage and positioned above the carriage, the platform having a length and a width orthogonal to the length, the length greater than the wid

Assignees

• Technologies Holdings Corp
• Tech Holdings Corporation

Inventors

• Henry Joel R
• Schroeder Bruce A
• Hachey Adam R
• Ajaz Rizwan
• Van Der Sluis Peter Willem

Classifications

• Y10S901/09

  Closed loop, sensor feedback controls arm movement · CPC title

• B25J9/1697

  Vision controlled systems · CPC title

• B25J15/04

  with provision for the remote detachment or exchange of the head or parts thereof · CPC title

• Y10S901/02

  Arm motion controller · CPC title

• A01J7/04 Primary

  for treatment of udders or teats, e.g. for cleaning · CPC title