Systems and methods for identifying and processing a variety of objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11494575-B2
Application number	US-202016800587-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 25, 2020
Priority date	Sep 11, 2015
Publication date	Nov 8, 2022
Grant date	Nov 8, 2022

Abstract

A robotic system is disclosed that include an articulated arm and a first perception system for inspecting an object, as well as a plurality of additional perception systems, each of which is arranged to be directed toward a common area in which an object may be positioned by the robotic arm such that a plurality of views within the common area may be obtained by the plurality of additional perception systems.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of processing a plurality of dissimilar objects, said method comprising:
presenting the plurality of dissimilar objects at a first location, each of which is in contact with at least another of the plurality of dissimilar objects;
providing first perceived information by a first perception unit that scans the plurality of dissimilar objects at the first location;
obtaining identifying indicia from the first perceived information;
associating a first object included among the plurality of dissimilar objects with one of the identifying indicia from the first perceived information by a control system;
grasping with an end effector of a programmable motion device the first object included among the plurality of dissimilar objects;
separating the first object from the plurality of dissimilar objects using the programmable motion device;
providing second perceived information by the first perception unit that scans the plurality of dissimilar objects after the first object is separated from the plurality of dissimilar objects;
determining by the control system whether the identifying indicia associated with the first object is present in the second perceived information after the first object is separated from the plurality of dissimilar objects; and
one of returning the first object back to the plurality of dissimilar objects in response to the control system determining that the identifying indicia associated with the first object is present in the second perceived information, or routing the first object toward a destination location associated with the identifying indicia in response to the control system determining that the identifying indicia associated with the first object is not present in the second perceived information.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the plurality of dissimilar objects at the first location include both objects with an exposed identifying indicia and objects without exposed identifying indicia.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the method further includes ranking at least two objects of the plurality of dissimilar objects with regard to a picking order.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 , wherein grasping the first object includes grasping the first object without having identified the first object.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining from the first perceived information a second object having no identifying indicia that is included among the plurality of dissimilar objects;
separating the second object from the plurality of dissimilar objects using the programmable motion device;
presenting the second object using the programmable motion device to a second perception unit that includes a plurality of identity capturing devices, wherein the plurality of identity capturing devices are positioned in a generally bowl-shape;
scanning every surface of the second object for identifying indicia using the plurality of identity capturing devices of the second perception unit; and
routing the second object toward a destination location associated with the identifying indicia provided by the second perception unit.

6. The method as claimed in claim 5 , wherein the method further includes scanning every surface of the first object for identifying indicia using the plurality of identity capturing devices of the second perception unit includes rotating the first object with the end effector of the programmable motion device.

7. The method as claimed in claim 1 , further comprising:
determining from the first perceived information a second object having no identifying indicia that is included among the plurality of dissimilar objects;
separating the second object from the plurality of dissimilar objects using the programmable motion device;
dropping the second object from the end effector of the programmable motion device through a drop scanner that includes a plurality of identity capturing devices arranged between an open top and an open bottom of the drop scanner;
scanning every surface of the second object for identifying indicia using the plurality of identity capturing devices as the second object falls through the drop scanner; and
routing the second object toward a destination location associated with the identifying indicia provided by the drop scanner.

8. The method as claimed in claim 7 , wherein dropping the second object from the end effector of the programmable motion device through the drop scanner includes providing illumination of the second object by a plurality of illumination sources as the second object falls through the drop scanner.

9. The method as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the method further includes providing simulations of poses of the first object to optimize placement of the plurality of identity capturing devices.

10. The method as claimed in claim 9 , wherein providing simulations of poses of the first object involves the use of a barcode scanner performance model.

11. The method as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the barcode scanner performance model incorporates pitch and skew of planes of barcode symbologies.

12. A method of processing a plurality of dissimilar objects, said method comprising:
presenting the plurality of dissimilar objects at a first location, each of which is in contact with at least another of the plurality of dissimilar objects;
providing first perceived information by a first perception unit that scans the plurality of dissimilar objects at the first location;
determining from the first perceived information a first object having no identifying indicia included among the plurality of dissimilar objects;
grasping with an end effector of a programmable motion device the first object from among the plurality of dissimilar objects;
separating the first object from the plurality of dissimilar objects using the programmable motion device;
presenting the first object using the programmable motion device to a second perception unit that includes a plurality of identity capturing devices;
scanning every surface of the first object for identifying indicia using the plurality of identifying capturing devices of the second perception unit; and
routing the first object toward a destination location associated with the identifying indicia provided by the second perception unit.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein presenting the first object to the plurality of identity capturing devices included in the second perception unit includes dropping the first object from the end effector of the programmable motion device through a drop scanner that includes the plurality of identity capturing devices between an open top and an open bottom of the drop scanner.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13 , wherein dropping the first object from the end effector of the programmable motion device through the drop scanner includes providing illumination of the first object by a plurality of illumination sources as the second object falls through the drop scanner.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of dissimilar objects at the first location include both objects with an exposed identifying indicia and objects without exposed identifying indicia.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the method further includes ranking at least two objects of the plurality of dissimilar objects with regard to a picking order.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the plurality of identity capturing devices included in the second perception unit are positioned in a generally bowl-shape

Assignees

• Berkshire Grey Operating Company Inc

Inventors

• Wagner Thomas
• Ahearn Kevin
• Cohen Benjamin
• DAWSON-HAGGERTY Michael
• GEYER Christopher
• Koletschka Thomas
• MARONEY Kyle
• Mason Matthew T
• Price Gene Temple
• Romano Joseph
• Smith Daniel
• SRINIVASA Siddhartha
• Velagapudi Prasanna
• Allen Thomas

Classifications

• G06K7/10693

  for omnidirectional scanning · CPC title

• B25J9/1679

  characterised by the tasks executed · CPC title

• B25J19/023

  including video camera means · CPC title

• G06K7/1447

  extracting optical codes from image or text carrying said optical code · CPC title

• G06V2201/06

  Recognition of objects for industrial automation · CPC title