Automated guided vehicle for transporting objects

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11630447-B1
Application number	US-201916538237-A
Country	US
Kind code	B1
Filing date	Aug 12, 2019
Priority date	Aug 10, 2018
Publication date	Apr 18, 2023
Grant date	Apr 18, 2023

Abstract

An automated guided vehicle (AGV) is described. In an example implementation, the AGV may include an AGV body; one or more elevator mechanisms coupled to the AGV body; a support surface coupled to the AGV body and vertically movable along the AGV body by the one or more elevator mechanisms, the support surface supporting an object from underneath the object when the object is placed on the support surface; one or more arms coupled to the AGV body and vertically movable along the AGV body by the one or more elevator mechanisms, the one or more arms articulating to move the object from a first position of the object and place the object on the support surface; and an AGV controller configured to control one or more operations of the AGV.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An automated guided vehicle (AGV) comprising:
an AGV body;
one or more elevator mechanisms coupled to the AGV body;
a support surface coupled to the AGV body and vertically movable along the AGV body by the one or more elevator mechanisms, the support surface supporting an object from underneath the object when the object is placed on the support surface;
one or more arms coupled to the AGV body and vertically movable along the AGV body by the one or more elevator mechanisms, the one or more arms articulating to move the object from a first position of the object and place the object on the support surface, the one or more arms including a grasping member positioned at an end of the one or more arms distal from the AGV body, the grasping member including:
a grasping member body;
a paddle on a first side of the grasping member and coupled with the grasping member body using a sliding mechanism that slides the paddle horizontally relative to the grasping member body; and
a wrist element on a second side of the grasping member and pivoting the grasping member body relative to the one or more arms, the second side of the grasping member opposing the first side of the grasping member, the wrist element and the sliding mechanism allowing the paddle to slide at variable angles relative to the one or more arms;

and
an AGV controller configured to control one or more operations of the AGV.

2. The AGV of claim 1 , wherein the one or more arms includes a plurality of arms and an arm in the plurality of arms includes:
a hand element comprising the paddle slideable along the hand element, the paddle adapted to hold the object between a plurality of paddles of the plurality of arms, the paddle sliding along the hand element when the object is held between the plurality of paddles of the plurality of arms to move the object.

3. The AGV of claim 2 , wherein the hand element includes:
a finger element mounted to an end of the paddle, the finger element being horizontally pivotable to rest against a second object surface of the object to grasp the object.

4. The AGV of claim 1 , wherein the one or more arms includes a plurality of arms and an arm in the plurality of arms includes:
a shoulder element coupling the arm to the AGV body, the shoulder element adapted to horizontally pivot the arm around the shoulder element to adjust a distance between a plurality of paddles of the plurality of arms based on the object; and
the wrist element coupling a hand element of the arm to the arm, the wrist element adapted to horizontally pivot the hand element around the wrist element to adjust the distance between the plurality of paddles of the plurality of arms based on the object.

5. The AGV of claim 1 , wherein:
the AGV transports the object to or from a shelving unit; and
the AGV includes one or more legs coupled to the AGV body, the one or more legs satisfying a height threshold associated with a space underneath the shelving unit.

6. The AGV of claim 1 , further comprising:
a plurality of legs coupled to the AGV body and separated by a distance satisfying a distance threshold to accommodate the object between the plurality of legs.

7. The AGV of claim 1 , further comprising:
a user communication unit including a voice interface device, the voice interface device adapted to receive one or more of a voice command and a voice input from a user.

8. The AGV of claim 1 , wherein the AGV controller executes one or more instructions that cause the AGV to:
align the AGV with the first position of the object;
vertically move the support surface along the AGV body to a first surface position relative to the first position of the object;
vertically move the one or more arms along the AGV body to a first arm position relative to the first position of the object;
retrieve the object from the first position of the object using the one or more arms, the one or more arms holding the object; and
move the object towards the support surface by the one or more arms holding the object to place the object on the support surface.

9. A method comprising:
determining a first position of an object in a first area;
aligning an automated guided vehicle (AGV) with the first position of the object, the AGV including a support surface, one or more arms coupled to an AGV body, and two or more legs coupled with the AGV body and providing support to the AGV body, the support surface and the one or more arms being vertically movable along the AGV body, the one or more arms including a grasping member positioned at an end of the one or more arms distal from the AGV body, the grasping member including:
a grasping member body;
a paddle on a first side of the grasping member and coupled with the grasping member body using a sliding mechanism that slides the paddle horizontally relative to the grasping member body; and
a wrist element coupled to a second side of the grasping member and pivoting the grasping member body relative to the one or more arms, the second side of the grasping member opposing the first side of the grasping member, the wrist element and the sliding mechanism allowing the paddle to slide at variable angles relative to the one or more arms;

vertically moving the support surface of the AGV along the AGV body to a first surface position relative to the first position of the object;
vertically moving the one or more arms of the AGV along the AGV body to a first arm position relative to the first position of the object;
retrieving the object from the first position of the object using the one or more arms, the one or more arms holding the object; and
moving the object towards the support surface by the one or more arms holding the object to place the object on the support surface.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
determining an object size of the object;
adjusting the one or more arms based on the object size of the object; and
responsive to moving the support surface to the first surface position and the one or more arms to the first arm position and responsive to adjusting the one or more arms, retrieving the object from the first position of the object using the one or more arms.

11. The method of claim 9 , wherein an arm in the one or more arms includes:
a shoulder element coupling the arm to the AGV body, the arm being horizontally pivotable around the shoulder element;
a hand element including the paddle slideable along the hand element and a finger element mounted to an end of the paddle, the finger element being pivotable to rest against an object surface of the object; and
the wrist element coupling the hand element to the arm, the hand element being horizontally pivotable around the wrist element.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the one or more arms include a plurality of arms, and the method comprises:
determining an object size of the object; and
horizontally pivoting one or more of the arm and the hand element of the arm to adjust a distance between a plurality of paddles of the plurality of arms based on the object size of the object.

13. The method of claim 11 , wherein:
the one or more arms include a plurality of arms; and
retrieving the object from the first position of the object and moving the object towards the support surface includes:
sliding the paddle forward to hold the object between a plurality of paddles of the plurality of arms;
pivoting the finger element to rest the finger element against a second object surface of the object to grasp the object; and
sliding the paddle backward along the hand element to move the object being held by the plurality of paddles of the p

Assignees

• Staples Inc

Inventors

• Bhaskaran Michael
• Harris Weston
• Rangwala Maimuna

Classifications

• B65G59/02

  De-stacking from the top of the stack · CPC title

• B65G1/0492 Primary

  with cars adapted to travel in storage aisles · CPC title

• G05B19/41895 Primary

  using automatic guided vehicles [AGV] (control of position or course of AGV's G05D1/00) · CPC title

• B65G1/1373

  for fulfilling orders in warehouses · CPC title

• G05D1/0272

  comprising means for registering the travel distance, e.g. revolutions of wheels (measuring distance traversed on the ground by vehicles, e.g. using odometers G01C22/00) · CPC title