Robotic system with zone-based control

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11897706-B2
Application number	US-202117217467-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 30, 2021
Priority date	Mar 30, 2021
Publication date	Feb 13, 2024
Grant date	Feb 13, 2024

Abstract

A robotic line kitting system is disclosed. Data indicating for each of a plurality of operating zones comprising a workspace with which the robotic line kitting system is associated a corresponding safety state information is stored. The data is used to dynamically schedule and perform tasks associated with a higher level objective, including by operating the one or more robotic instrumentalities in one or more operating zones, if any, indicated by the data to currently be available to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities and by not operating the one or more robotic instrumentalities in one or more operating zones, if any, indicated by the data to not currently be available to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A robotic line kitting system, comprising:
a memory configured to store data indicating, for each of a plurality of operating zones comprising a workspace with which the robotic line kitting system is associated, a corresponding state information indicating an extent to which that operating zone currently is or is not available to the robotic line kitting system to perform tasks using one or more robotic instrumentalities comprising the robotic line kitting system; and
a processor coupled to the memory and configured to:
use the data indicating, for each of the plurality of operating zones, the extent to which that operating zone currently is or is not available to the robotic line kitting system to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities to dynamically schedule and perform tasks associated with a higher level objective, including by operating the one or more robotic instrumentalities in one or more operating zones, if any, indicated by said data to currently be available to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities and by not operating the one or more robotic instrumentalities in one or more operating zones, if any, indicated by said data to not currently be available to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities;
receive from a first sensor associated with a first operating zone of the plurality of operating zones, first operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone of the plurality of operating zones, wherein the first sensor is located at an entrance to the first operating zone;
receive from a second sensor associated with the first operating zone of the plurality of operating zones, second operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone, wherein the second sensor is located in the first operating zone at a distance offset from the first sensor;

in response to receiving the first operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone and the second operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone, update the corresponding state information associated with the first operating zone to indicate that the first operating zone is not available to the robotic line kitting system; and
in response to the corresponding state information associated with the first operating zone of the plurality of operating zones being updated to indicate that the first operating zone is not available to the robotic line kitting system, alter autonomous behavior of the one or more robotic instrumentalities to ensure safety of any human worker in the first operating zone, wherein the autonomous behavior of the one or more robotic instrumentalities is altered based on whether the first operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone indicates a presence of a human worker in the first operating zone and the second operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone does not indicate the presence of the human worker in the first operating zone or whether the first operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone and the second operating zone state information associated with the first operating zone indicates the presence of the human worker in the first operating zone.

2. The robotic line kitting system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to store in said memory said data indicating for each of the plurality of operating zones the extent to which that operating zone currently is or is not available to the robotic line kitting system to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities.

3. The robotic line kitting system of claim 2 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine based on data received from one or more sensors said data indicating for each of the plurality of operating zones the extent to which that operating zone currently is or is not available to the robotic line kitting system to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities.

4. The robotic line kitting system of claim 3 , wherein the first sensor and the second sensor are configured to detect access by the human worker to one or more of said operating zones.

5. The robotic line kitting system of claim 3 , wherein said one or more sensors includes data provided by a safety module comprising a first robotic instrumentality of the one or more robotic instrumentalities comprising the robotic line kitting system.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the first robotic instrumentality comprises a robotic arm and the safety module provides as output data indicating for each of one or more operable elements comprising the robotic arm one or both of a position in three-dimensional space of the operable element and data indicating whether all or part of the operable element has entered or will enter a location associated with one or more of said operating zones.

7. The robotic line kitting system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to cause a robotic instrumentality included in said one or more robotic instrumentalities to be operated in or adjacent to the first operating zone in a first mode associated with a first safety state of the first operating zone as indicated by a corresponding data included in said stored data.

8. The robotic line kitting system of claim 7 , wherein the first safety state is associated with presence of a human worker in the first operating zone and the first mode comprises a pause stop mode in which the robotic instrumentality is brought to a stop in a controlled manner.

9. The robotic line kitting system of claim 7 , wherein the first safety state is associated with presence of the human worker in the first operating zone and the first mode comprises a safe transit mode in which the robotic instrumentality is moved through or by the first operating zone at a reduced speed.

10. The robotic line kitting system of claim 9 , wherein the safe transit mode further includes emitting an audible warning sound.

11. The robotic line kitting system of claim 9 , wherein the safe transit mode further includes maintaining one or more operable elements of the robotic instrumentality in a stowed position.

12. The robotic line kitting system of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to detect a change in said state information for a given operating zone by which the operating zone has changed from being currently available to the robotic line kitting system to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities comprising the robotic line kitting system to a state in which the given operating zone is not currently available to the robotic line kitting system to perform tasks using the one or more robotic instrumentalities.

13. The robotic line kitting system of claim 12 , wherein the processor is further configured to determine a set of upcoming tasks scheduled to be performed at least in part in a region associated with the given operating zone and to revise a plan dynamically to cancel or modify the determined set of upcoming tasks to avoid operating in the given operating zone in a manner not permitted by a detected current state of the given operating zone.

14. The robotic line kitting system of claim 13 , wherein the processor is configured to revise the plan in a manner that enables the robotic line kitting system to continue working in one or more operating zones other than the given operating zone.

15. A method to control a robotic line kitting system, comprising:
storing data indicating, for each of a plurality of operating zo

Assignees

• Dexterity Inc

Inventors

• Sun Zhouwen
• Sun Cuthbert
• Nguyen Andrew
• Tay Samuel
• Peck Emilie
• Chavez Kevin Jose
• Holmberg Robert

Classifications

• B65G47/905 Primary

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B25J9/1651

  acceleration, rate control · CPC title

• B25J9/1661

  characterised by task planning, object-oriented languages · CPC title

• B25J9/1666

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• B25J9/1676

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title