Manipulating boxes using a zoned gripper

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12090656-B2
Application number	US-202318348758-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 7, 2023
Priority date	Aug 13, 2018
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
locating, using sensor data acquired by at least one camera of a robot, a target candidate object of a plurality of objects, each of the plurality of objects having at least one planar surface;
determining, for a grip area of a gripper of the robot, a configuration of vacuum suction cups on the gripper that corresponds to an area of the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object;
determining a grasp pose for the target candidate object, the grasp pose aligning the configuration of vacuum suction cups with the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object; and
executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate object by the gripper, the gripper activating the vacuum suction cups in the configuration.

2. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
dividing the grip area of the gripper into a plurality of zones, wherein determination of a configuration of vacuum suction cups comprises including in the configuration one or more of the plurality of zones.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein
the plurality of objects are located in a container having walls, and
determining the grasp pose for the target candidate object comprises determining the grasp pose as a grasp pose that avoids contact of the robot with one or more of the walls of the container.

4. The method of claim 3 , wherein determining the grasp pose for the target candidate object comprises offsetting the grasp pose based on a location of the one or more walls of the container.

5. The method of claim 3 , further comprising:
determining a motion path for removal of the target candidate object from the container, the motion path avoiding at least one feature of the container; and
controlling the robot to remove the target candidate object from the container based on the determined motion path.

6. The method of claim 1 , further comprising:
determining that the grasp pose includes an amount of coverage of the target candidate object, the amount of coverage corresponding to an area providing suction force sufficient to lift the target candidate object.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the grasp pose corresponds to a position of the gripper defined by a set of vacuum suction cups overlapping the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object.

8. A robot comprising:
at least one camera configured to acquire sensor data;
a gripper comprising a plurality of vacuum suction cups; and
at least one computer processor programmed to:
locate using the sensor data, a target candidate object of a plurality of objects, each of the plurality of objects having at least one planar surface;
determine, for a grip area of the gripper, a configuration of the plurality of vacuum suction cups that corresponds to an area of the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object;
determine a grasp pose for the target candidate object, the grasp pose aligning the configuration of vacuum suction cups with the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object; and
control the robot to execute the grasp pose to lift the target candidate object, the robot activating the vacuum suction cups in the configuration.

9. The robot of claim 8 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further programed to:
divide the grip area of the gripper into a plurality of zones, wherein determination of a configuration of vacuum suction cups comprises including in the configuration one or more of the plurality of zones.

10. The robot of claim 8 , wherein
the plurality of objects are located in a container having walls, and
determining the grasp pose for the target candidate object comprises determining the grasp pose as a grasp pose that avoids contact of the robot with one or more of the walls of the container.

11. The robot of claim 10 , wherein determining the grasp pose for the target candidate object comprises offsetting the grasp pose based on a location of the one or more walls of the container.

12. The robot of claim 10 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further programmed to:
determine a motion path for removal of the target candidate object from the container, the motion path avoiding at least one feature of the container; and
control the robot to remove the target candidate object from the container based on the determined motion path.

13. The robot of claim 8 , wherein the at least one computer processor is further programmed to:
determine that the grasp pose includes an amount of coverage of the target candidate object, the amount of coverage corresponding to an area providing suction force sufficient to lift the target candidate object.

14. The robot of claim 8 , wherein the grasp pose corresponds to a position of the gripper defined by a set of vacuum suction cups overlapping the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object.

15. A controller for a robot, the controller comprising:
at least one computer processor programmed with a set of instructions that, when executed by the at least one computer processor perform a method, the method comprising:
locating, using sensor data acquired by at least one camera of the robot, a target candidate object of a plurality of objects, each of the plurality of objects having at least one planar surface;
determining, for a grip area of a gripper of the robot, a configuration of vacuum suction cups on the gripper that corresponds to an area of the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object;
determining a grasp pose for the target candidate object, the grasp pose aligning the configuration of vacuum suction cups with the at least one planar surface of the target candidate object; and
executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate object by the gripper, the gripper activating the vacuum suction cups in the configuration.

16. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
dividing the grip area of the gripper into a plurality of zones, wherein determination of a configuration of vacuum suction cups comprises including in the configuration one or more of the plurality of zones.

17. The controller of claim 15 , wherein
the plurality of objects are located in a container having walls, and
determining the grasp pose for the target candidate object comprises determining the grasp pose as a grasp pose that avoids contact of the robot with one or more of the walls of the container.

18. The controller of claim 17 , wherein determining the grasp pose for the target candidate object comprises offsetting the grasp pose based on a location of the one or more walls of the container.

19. The controller of claim 17 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining a motion path for removal of the target candidate object from the container, the motion path avoiding at least one feature of the container; and
controlling the robot to remove the target candidate object from the container based on the determined motion path.

20. The controller of claim 15 , wherein the method further comprises:
determining that the grasp pose includes an amount of coverage of the target candidate object, the amount of coverage corresponding to an area providing suction force sufficient to lift the target candidate object.

Assignees

• Boston Dynamics Inc

Inventors

• Chitta Sachin
• Hershberger David
• Pauwels Karl

Classifications

• B66F9/02

  Stationary loaders or unloaders, e.g. for sacks · CPC title

• B25J15/0683

  Details of suction cup structure, e.g. grooves or ridges · CPC title

• B25J13/08

  by means of sensing devices, e.g. viewing or touching devices · CPC title

• B25J9/1612

  characterised by the hand, wrist, grip control · CPC title

• G05B2219/39558

  Vacuum hand has selective gripper area · CPC title