User-assisted robotic control systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2018281200-A1
Application number	US-201815941659-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Mar 30, 2018
Priority date	Mar 30, 2017
Publication date	Oct 4, 2018
Grant date	—

Abstract

Exemplary embodiments relate to user-assisted robotic control systems, user interfaces for remote control of robotic systems, vision systems in robotic control systems, and modular grippers for use by robotic systems. Systems, methods, apparatuses and computer-readable media instructions are disclosed for interactions with and control of robotic systems, in particular, pick and place systems using soft robotic actuators to grasp, move and release target objects.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system comprising:
a local processor operative to communicate with a remote electronic processor device; and a pick and place station in communication with the local processor and comprising: a robotic system comprising a base, a robotic arm coupled to the base at a first end, a soft robotic gripper coupled to the robotic arm at a second end, the robotic system operative to grasp a target object at a first location and move the target object to a second location; and a sensor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the soft robotic gripper comprises: a hub at the first end for connecting the gripper to the robotic arm, and one or more soft robotic actuators coupled to the hub to form the gripper.

3 . The system of claim 2 , the hub comprising a hydraulic connection or a pneumatic connection to deliver actuation fluid to the one or more soft robotic actuators.

4 . The system of claim 2 , the hub comprising a mounting point for the sensor and one or more of an electrical or a data connection for powering and communicating with the sensor.

5 . The system of claim 2 , comprising a plurality of hubs, each hub associated with a soft robotic actuator, wherein each of the plurality of hubs is slidably attached to one or more rails that permit the soft robotic actuators to move relative to each other.

6 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the one or more rails is coupled to the robotic arm.

7 . The system of claim 5 , wherein the plurality of hubs is manually adjustable along the one or more rails.

8 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the plurality of hubs is automatically adjustable along the one or more rails.

9 . The system of claim 7 , wherein the soft robotic actuators associated with each hub are one of: controllable independently of each other, or controllable as a single unit.

10 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of local processors in communication with the pick and place station.

11 . The system of claim 1 , comprising a plurality of pick and place stations in communication with the local processor.

12 . The system of claim 1 , the sensor comprising one or more of: a camera, a weight sensor, an accelerometer, a range sensor, a force detection sensor, a vibration sensor, a three-dimensional depth camera, a photoelectric break beam, a spectrometer, a hyperspectral imager, a grasp sensor, or a laser range scanner.

13 . The system of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the base or the robotic arm comprises at least one of a pneumatic connection for actuating the soft robotic gripper, a hydraulic connection for actuating the soft robotic gripper, an electrical connection, or a data connection.

14 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first location comprises a source bin and the second location comprises a target bin.

15 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the local processor receives commands from the remote electronic processor device and communicates control instructions to the robotic system.

16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the local processor receives information from the robotic system and communicates the received information to the remote electronic processor device.

17 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a cloud backend to receive and store information communicated from one or more of: the remote electronic processor device, the local processor, or the robotic system.

18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the cloud backend receives information comprising one or more of: sensor data, a failure rate of a component of the robotic system, a maintenance schedule, an identified problem, or a software crash.

19 . The system of claim 17 , the cloud backend operative to do one or more of: perform data mining and analytics on the received information, recommend changes to a maintenance or replacement schedule, suggest a repair or an optimization, or automatically make or recommend a change or an improvement to a software control system of the local processor or of the remote electronic device.

20 . The system of claim 17 , the cloud backend operative to transmit a software update to one or more of the local processor or the remote electronic device.

21 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the sensor comprises a visualization sensor mounted to view one of the first location or the second location.

Assignees

• Soft Robotics Inc

Inventors

• Rosenstein Michael
• Curhan Jeff
• Lessing Joshua Aaron
• Knopf Ryan
• Harburg Daniel
• Chiappetta Mark

Classifications

• G05B2219/39466

  Hand, gripper, end effector of manipulator · CPC title

• G05B2219/40253

  Soft arm robot, light, rubber, very compliant · CPC title

• B25J9/1676

  Avoiding collision or forbidden zones · CPC title

• F15B15/10

  the motor being of diaphragm type · CPC title

• B25J9/1692

  Calibration of manipulator · CPC title