ABSTRACT
Abstract
A mobile manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from a storage system. The robot includes a body, a wheel assembly, a sensor to locate a position of the robot within the storage system, an interface configured to send processor readable data to a remote processor and to an operator interface, and receive processor executable instructions from the remote processor and from the operator interface, an imaging device to capture images of the inventory items, a picking manipulator, first and second pneumatic gripping elements for grasping the inventory items, and a coupler configured to mate with a valve to access a pneumatic supply for operating at least one of the first or second pneumatic gripping elements. The robot is configured to transition the valve from a closed condition to an open condition and selectively place one of the first or the second pneumatic gripping elements in communication with the pneumatic supply.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/940,554, filed Jul. 28, 2020, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/961,390, filed Jan. 15, 2020, and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/879,843, filed Jul. 29, 2019, all the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates generally to storage systems and inventory retrieval methods, and more particularly, to a storage system and a mobile, manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from the storage system.
Warehouses, or distribution fulfillment centers, require systems that enable the efficient storage and retrieval of a large number of diverse products. Traditionally, inventory items are stored in containers and arranged on rows of shelving on either side of an aisle. Each container, or bin, holds a plurality of items of one or more product types. The aisles provide access between the shelving for an operator or robot to migrate the aisles and retrieve the items. It is well understood that the aisles reduce the storage density of the system. In other words, the amount of space actually used for the storage of products (e.g., the shelving) is relatively small compared to the amount of space required for the storage system as a whole. As warehouse space is often scarce and expensive, alternative storage systems that maximize storage space are desired.
In one alternative approach, which offers a significant improvement in storage density, containers are stacked on top of one another and arranged in adjacent rows. That is, no aisle is provided between the adjacent rows of stacked containers. Thus, more containers, and in turn inventory, can be stored in a given space.
Various methods for retrieving inventory from the stacked containers have been contemplated. U.S. Pat. No. 10,189,641, for example, discloses a system in which containers are stacked and arranged in a plurality of rows underneath a grid. Vehicles equipped with a lifting apparatus navigate the grid and lift a desired container. The container is then transported down a port to a picking/sorting zone, where an operator or robot picks individual products from the container and sorts the products into one or more order containers. To minimize unnecessary transportation of the containers, each container is typically transported to the picking/sorting zone only after multiple orders of a specific product have been received.
Despite the increased storage density provided by the known stacked storage system, various shortcoming remain. For example, order fulfilment times are often lengthy, particularly for products that are ordered infrequently because the containers are retrieved in priority as a function of the number of products of one type that have been ordered. Additionally, the vehicles are required to navigate long distances (which takes considerable time and consumes considerable battery power) while driving bins back-and-fourth to the transportation ports. Furthermore, the required picking/sorting zones reduce the overall storage density of the warehouse and add additional complexity and costs. While the throughput of the stacked storage system can be increased by adding additional vehicles to the grid (or by modifying the system to include additional container transportation ports), there is a limit to the amount of vehicles that can be operated on the grid before the grid becomes overly congested with vehicles and the throughput of the system declines due to gridlock.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a high density storage structure is provided. The storage structure includes support members configured to house a plurality of containers, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the supply line. Each of the valves have a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the outside environment such that a mobile, manipulator robot traversing the first set of parallel rails may receive a fluid supply from the fluid supply line.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a mobile, manipulator robot for retrieving inventory from the storage structure is provided. The robot may include a body having an interface configured to send processor readable data to a central processor and receive processor executable instructions from the central processor, a mobility assembly coupled to the body, a coupler selectively mateable to a port to receive a fluid supply from a supply line, and a picking arm connected to the body. The picking arm may be coupled to a first pneumatic gripping tool configured to grasp inventory items.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a mobile, manipulator robot to retrieve a product from a container located in a storage structure is provided. The method may include moving the mobile, manipulator robot over a first set of parallel rails of the storage structure and to a picking location, identifying a grasping region located on a product based at least in part upon image data obtained by a sensor attached to the mobile, manipulator robot, adjusting a picking arm equipped with a pneumatic gripping tool to a grasping pose, and grasping the product using the pneumatic gripping tool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a frame structure for housing a plurality of stacked containers according to the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a portion of the frame structure of FIG. 1 .
FIGS. 3 A and 3 B are schematic perspective views, from the rear and front respectively, of a load handling device according to the prior art for use with the frame structure depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
FIG. 3 C is a schematic perspective view depicting a container being lifted by the load handling device of FIGS. 3 A and 3 B .
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the frame structure of FIG. 1 having a plurality of the load handling devices of FIGS. 3 A- 3 C installed on the frame structure.
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the frame structure of FIG. 4 illustrating a digging operation to retrieve a target container from a stack of containers.
FIG. 6 A is a schematic illustration of a robotic system including a storage structure for housing a plurality of stacked containers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 B is a schematic perspective view of the storage structure of FIG. 6 A .
FIG. 6 C is a schematic perspective view of two storage structures arranged on top of one another according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 D is a schematic side elevation view of a digging robot performing a digging operation within the storage structure of FIG. 6 B .
FIG. 7 A is a perspective view of a rail illustrating a channel extending through the rail and a conduit extending from the channel to a surface of the rail.
FIG. 7 B is an enlarged view of a portion of the rail of FIG. 7 A .
FIG. 8 A is a cross-section view of a valve located within the conduit of FIG. 7 A .
FIG. 8 B is an enlarged view of the valve of FIG. 8 A .
FIG. 9 A is a schematic perspective view of a mobile, manipulator robot including a picking arm equipped with a pneumatic gripping tool and a tool holder, installed on top of the storage structure of FIG. 6 B .
FIG. 9 B is an enlarged view of a portion of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 9 C is a flow chart showing an example method of determining a grasping pose of the picking arm of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 9 D is a schematic illustration of a plurality of product items located within a container.
FIG. 9 E is a schematic illustration showing grasping regions of the product items of FIG. 9 D .
FIG. 9 F is a perspective view of a first set of pneumatic gripping tools stored in the tool holder of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 9 G is a perspective view of a second set of pneumatic gripping tools stored in the tool holder of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 10 A is a top elevation view illustrating a mobility assembly of the robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 10 B is a schematic view of a prop mechanism that assists in rotating the wheels of the mobility assembly of FIG. 10 A .
FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-section view of a coupler of the robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 12 A is a perspective view of the picking arm of the robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 12 B is a side view of a portion of the picking arm of FIG. 12 A .
FIG. 12 C is a schematic cross-section view of an order bin and a target container holding inventory items of different sizes.
FIG. 13 A is a cross-section view illustrating the coupling between the pneumatic gripping tool of FIG. 9 A and the picking arm of FIGS. 12 A and 12 B .
FIG. 13 B is a schematic perspective view illustrating the coupling between the picking arm of FIGS. 12 A and 12 B and alternative pneumatic gripping tools.
FIG. 13 C is a schematic illustration showing two pneumatic supply lines of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A coupleable to several example pneumatic tools.
FIGS. 14 A and 14 B are schematic cross-sections illustrating the coupling between the coupler of FIG. 11 and the conduit of FIG. 7 A .
FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a method of grasping a product item using the picking arm and the pneumatic gripping tool of FIG. 13 A .
FIG. 16 A is a schematic perspective view of a mobile, manipulator robot including a container retrieval device having a hoist plate according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 16 B is a schematic perspective view of the hoist plate of FIG. 16 A .
FIG. 16 C is a schematic perspective view of a hoist plate including a plurality of suction cups according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 16 D and 16 E are schematic perspective views of a hoist plate including a retractable and moveable picking arm according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 16 F is a schematic perspective view of two storage structures arranged in a side by side relationship and depicting a
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS
The present application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 16/940,554, filed Jul. 28, 2020, which claims the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/961,390, filed Jan. 15, 2020, and the benefit of the filing date of U.S. Provisional Patent Application No. 62/879,843, filed Jul. 29, 2019, all the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
BACKGROUND OF THE DISCLOSURE
The present disclosure relates generally to storage systems and inventory retrieval methods, and more particularly, to a storage system and a mobile, manipulator robot for retrieving inventory items from the storage system.
Warehouses, or distribution fulfillment centers, require systems that enable the efficient storage and retrieval of a large number of diverse products. Traditionally, inventory items are stored in containers and arranged on rows of shelving on either side of an aisle. Each container, or bin, holds a plurality of items of one or more product types. The aisles provide access between the shelving for an operator or robot to migrate the aisles and retrieve the items. It is well understood that the aisles reduce the storage density of the system. In other words, the amount of space actually used for the storage of products (e.g., the shelving) is relatively small compared to the amount of space required for the storage system as a whole. As warehouse space is often scarce and expensive, alternative storage systems that maximize storage space are desired.
In one alternative approach, which offers a significant improvement in storage density, containers are stacked on top of one another and arranged in adjacent rows. That is, no aisle is provided between the adjacent rows of stacked containers. Thus, more containers, and in turn inventory, can be stored in a given space.
Various methods for retrieving inventory from the stacked containers have been contemplated. U.S. Pat. No. 10,189,641, for example, discloses a system in which containers are stacked and arranged in a plurality of rows underneath a grid. Vehicles equipped with a lifting apparatus navigate the grid and lift a desired container. The container is then transported down a port to a picking/sorting zone, where an operator or robot picks individual products from the container and sorts the products into one or more order containers. To minimize unnecessary transportation of the containers, each container is typically transported to the picking/sorting zone only after multiple orders of a specific product have been received.
Despite the increased storage density provided by the known stacked storage system, various shortcoming remain. For example, order fulfilment times are often lengthy, particularly for products that are ordered infrequently because the containers are retrieved in priority as a function of the number of products of one type that have been ordered. Additionally, the vehicles are required to navigate long distances (which takes considerable time and consumes considerable battery power) while driving bins back-and-fourth to the transportation ports. Furthermore, the required picking/sorting zones reduce the overall storage density of the warehouse and add additional complexity and costs. While the throughput of the stacked storage system can be increased by adding additional vehicles to the grid (or by modifying the system to include additional container transportation ports), there is a limit to the amount of vehicles that can be operated on the grid before the grid becomes overly congested with vehicles and the throughput of the system declines due to gridlock.
BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE
In accordance with a first aspect of the present disclosure, a high density storage structure is provided. The storage structure includes support members configured to house a plurality of containers, a first set of parallel rails to support a mobile, manipulator robot and a fluid supply line having a plurality of valves disposed within the supply line. Each of the valves have a closed condition in which the supply line is in fluid isolation from an outside environment and an open condition in which the supply line is in fluid communication with the outside environment such that a mobile, manipulator robot traversing the first set of parallel rails may receive a fluid supply from the fluid supply line.
In accordance with another aspect of the disclosure, a mobile, manipulator robot for retrieving inventory from the storage structure is provided. The robot may include a body having an interface configured to send processor readable data to a central processor and receive processor executable instructions from the central processor, a mobility assembly coupled to the body, a coupler selectively mateable to a port to receive a fluid supply from a supply line, and a picking arm connected to the body. The picking arm may be coupled to a first pneumatic gripping tool configured to grasp inventory items.
In accordance with yet another aspect of the disclosure, a method for controlling a mobile, manipulator robot to retrieve a product from a container located in a storage structure is provided. The method may include moving the mobile, manipulator robot over a first set of parallel rails of the storage structure and to a picking location, identifying a grasping region located on a product based at least in part upon image data obtained by a sensor attached to the mobile, manipulator robot, adjusting a picking arm equipped with a pneumatic gripping tool to a grasping pose, and grasping the product using the pneumatic gripping tool.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a frame structure for housing a plurality of stacked containers according to the prior art.
FIG. 2 is a schematic plan view of a portion of the frame structure of FIG. 1 .
FIGS. 3 A and 3 B are schematic perspective views, from the rear and front respectively, of a load handling device according to the prior art for use with the frame structure depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2 .
FIG. 3 C is a schematic perspective view depicting a container being lifted by the load handling device of FIGS. 3 A and 3 B .
FIG. 4 is a schematic perspective view of the frame structure of FIG. 1 having a plurality of the load handling devices of FIGS. 3 A- 3 C installed on the frame structure.
FIG. 5 is a schematic perspective view of the frame structure of FIG. 4 illustrating a digging operation to retrieve a target container from a stack of containers.
FIG. 6 A is a schematic illustration of a robotic system including a storage structure for housing a plurality of stacked containers according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 B is a schematic perspective view of the storage structure of FIG. 6 A .
FIG. 6 C is a schematic perspective view of two storage structures arranged on top of one another according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 6 D is a schematic side elevation view of a digging robot performing a digging operation within the storage structure of FIG. 6 B .
FIG. 7 A is a perspective view of a rail illustrating a channel extending through the rail and a conduit extending from the channel to a surface of the rail.
FIG. 7 B is an enlarged view of a portion of the rail of FIG. 7 A .
FIG. 8 A is a cross-section view of a valve located within the conduit of FIG. 7 A .
FIG. 8 B is an enlarged view of the valve of FIG. 8 A .
FIG. 9 A is a schematic perspective view of a mobile, manipulator robot including a picking arm equipped with a pneumatic gripping tool and a tool holder, installed on top of the storage structure of FIG. 6 B .
FIG. 9 B is an enlarged view of a portion of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 9 C is a flow chart showing an example method of determining a grasping pose of the picking arm of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 9 D is a schematic illustration of a plurality of product items located within a container.
FIG. 9 E is a schematic illustration showing grasping regions of the product items of FIG. 9 D .
FIG. 9 F is a perspective view of a first set of pneumatic gripping tools stored in the tool holder of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 9 G is a perspective view of a second set of pneumatic gripping tools stored in the tool holder of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 10 A is a top elevation view illustrating a mobility assembly of the robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 10 B is a schematic view of a prop mechanism that assists in rotating the wheels of the mobility assembly of FIG. 10 A .
FIG. 11 is a schematic cross-section view of a coupler of the robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 12 A is a perspective view of the picking arm of the robot of FIG. 9 A .
FIG. 12 B is a side view of a portion of the picking arm of FIG. 12 A .
FIG. 12 C is a schematic cross-section view of an order bin and a target container holding inventory items of different sizes.
FIG. 13 A is a cross-section view illustrating the coupling between the pneumatic gripping tool of FIG. 9 A and the picking arm of FIGS. 12 A and 12 B .
FIG. 13 B is a schematic perspective view illustrating the coupling between the picking arm of FIGS. 12 A and 12 B and alternative pneumatic gripping tools.
FIG. 13 C is a schematic illustration showing two pneumatic supply lines of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A coupleable to several example pneumatic tools.
FIGS. 14 A and 14 B are schematic cross-sections illustrating the coupling between the coupler of FIG. 11 and the conduit of FIG. 7 A .
FIG. 15 is a flow chart showing a method of grasping a product item using the picking arm and the pneumatic gripping tool of FIG. 13 A .
FIG. 16 A is a schematic perspective view of a mobile, manipulator robot including a container retrieval device having a hoist plate according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 16 B is a schematic perspective view of the hoist plate of FIG. 16 A .
FIG. 16 C is a schematic perspective view of a hoist plate including a plurality of suction cups according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIGS. 16 D and 16 E are schematic perspective views of a hoist plate including a retractable and moveable picking arm according to yet another embodiment of the present disclosure.
FIG. 16 F is a schematic perspective view of two storage structures arranged in a side by side relationship and depicting a mobile, manipulator robot traversing the lateral sides of the storage structures.
FIG. 17 is a schematic illustration of an alternative pneumatic system for use with the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A or the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 16 A .
FIG. 18 is a cross-section view of a modified gripping tool for use with the alternative pneumatic system of FIG. 17 .
FIG. 19 is a partial perspective view of a modified storage structure including a gantry frame supporting a robotic picking arm equipped with a pneumatic gripping tool.
FIG. 20 is a schematic illustration of another modified storage structure including an assembly positioned above the storage structure and pneumatic supply lines extending from the assembly toward the storage structure.
FIG. 21 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of using a computing system to control the operation of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A or the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 16 A .
FIG. 22 is a flowchart illustrating an example method of using an operating interface to control the operation of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 9 A or the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 16 A .
FIG. 23 is a schematic perspective view illustrating a mobile, manipulator robot traversing a warehouse floor and picking inventory items from a shelf.
FIG. 24 is a schematic perspective view of the mobile, manipulator robot of FIG. 16 A performing a digging operation.
FIG. 25 is a schematic top elevation view of a plurality of the mobile, manipulator robots of FIG. 16 A including one or more container retrieval devices.
FIGS. 26 and 27 are flowcharts illustrating example order fulfillment processes.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
As used herein, when terms of orientation, for example, âverticalâ and âhorizontalâ or relative terms such as, âabove,â âupwards,â âbeneath,â âdownwardsâ and the like are used to describe the orientation or relative position of specific features of the storage structure or mobile, manipulator robot, the terms are in reference to the orientation or the relative position of the features in the normal gravitational frame of reference when the storage structure is positioned with a bottom of the storage structure resting on a surface. Also as used herein, the terms âsubstantially,â âgenerally,â and âaboutâ are intended to mean that slight deviations from absolute are included within the scope of the term so modified.
FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate a storage structure for efficiently storing a plurality of stackable containers 10 , also known as bins, according to the prior art. Containers 10 are stacked on top of one another to form stacks 12 and are arranged in a frame structure 14 . Each container 10 typically holds a plurality of product items (not shown). The product items within each container 10 may be identical, or may be of different product types.
Frame structure 14 includes a plurality of vertical members 16 that support a first set of parallel horizontal members 18 extending in a first direction (e.g., the X-direction), and a second set of parallel horizontal members 20 extending in a second direction (e.g., the Y-direction). Horizontal members 18 and horizontal members 20 form a plurality of horizontal grid spaces within which stacks 12 are housed. Frame structure 14 is thus constructed to guard against horizontal movement of the stacks 12 of bins 10 and to guide vertical movement of the bins.
The uppermost level of frame structure 14 includes rails 22 arranged in a grid pattern across the top of horizontal members 18 and horizontal members 20 . With additional reference to FIGS. 3 A- 3 C and 4 , rails 22 support a plurality of robotic load handling devices 30 . A first set of parallel rails 22 a guides movement of load handling devices 30 in a first direction (e.g., the X-direction) across the top of frame structure 14 , and a second set of parallel rails 22 b, arranged perpendicular to the first set of parallel rails, guides movement of the load handling devices in a second direction (e.g., the Y-direction) across the top of the frame structure. In this manner, rails 22 allow load handling devices 30 to move laterally in two directions (in the X-direction and in the Y-direction) across the top of frame structure 14 so that the load handling devices can be moved into position above any one of the stacks 12 of bins 10 .
Each load handling device 30 includes a vehicle 32 with a first set of wheels 34 , consisting of a pair of wheels on the front of the vehicle and a pair of wheels on the back of the vehicle, arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the first set of rails 22 a. Similarly, a second set of wheels 36 , consisting of a pair of wheels on each lateral side of the vehicle, is arranged to engage with two adjacent rails of the second set of rails 22 b. Each set of wheels
34 , 36 can be lifted and lowered, so that either the first set of wheels 34 or the second set of wheels 36 is engaged with the respective set of rails
22 a, 22 b depending on the desired direction of movement of vehicle 32 .
When the first set of wheels 34 is engaged with the first set of rails 22 a and the second set of wheels 36 is lifted clear from the second set of rails 22 b, the first set of wheels can be driven, by way of a drive mechanism (not shown) housed in vehicle 32 , to move the load handling device 30 in the X-direction. To move the load handling device 30 in the Y-direction, the first set of wheels 34 is lifted clear of rails 22 a, and the second set of wheels 36 is lowered into engagement with the second set of rails 22 b. A drive mechanism (not shown) associated with the second set of wheels 36 can then be used to drive the second set of wheels in the Y-direction.
Load handling device 30 is also equipped with a crane device 40 having a cantilever arm 42 that extends laterally from the top of vehicle 32 . A gripper plate 44 is suspended from cantilever arm 42 by cables 46 that are connected to a winding mechanism (not shown) housed within vehicle 32 . Cables 46 thus can be spooled into or out from cantilever arm 42 to adjust gripper plate 44 with respect to the vehicle 32 in the Z-direction.
Gripper plate 44 is adapted to engage with the top of a bin 10 . For example, gripper plate 44 may include pins (not shown) that mate with corresponding holes (not shown) in the rim that forms the top surface of bin 10 and sliding clips (not shown) that are engageable with the rim to grip the bin. The clips are driven into engagement with bin 10 by a suitable drive mechanism housed within gripper plate 44 , which may be powered and controlled by signals carried through cables 46 , or through a separate control cable (not shown).
To remove a bin 10 from the top of a stack 12 , the load handling device 30 is moved as necessary in the X and Y directions so that the gripper plate 44 is positioned above the stack in which the desired bin is located. Gripper plate 44 is then lowered and brought into engagement with the bin 10 on top of stack 12 , as shown in FIG. 3 C . After the clips have engaged with and secured bin 10 , gripper plate 44 and, in turn the bin, may then be pulled upwards by spooling cables 46 . At the peak of its vertical travel, bin 10 is accommodated beneath cantilever arm 42 and is held above rails 22 . In this way, load handling device 30 can transport bin 10 to another location. Cables 46 are long enough to allow handling device 30 to retrieve and place bins 10 at any depth within stack 12 , including the floor level. Vehicle 32 is sufficiently heavy to counterbalance the weight of bin 10 and to remain stable during the lifting process. Much of the weight of vehicle 32 is attributed to the large and heavy batteries that are required to power and operate the drive mechanisms of wheels
34 , 36 .
The known storage structure, as shown in FIG. 4 , may include a plurality of load handling devices 30 that operate simultaneously to increase the throughput of the system. The storage structure depicted in FIG. 4 includes two ports 24 , or shafts, for transferring bins 10 into or out of the storage structure. An additional conveyor system (not shown) may be associated with each port 24 . In this manner, bins 10 that are transported to port 24 by load handling device 30 can be subsequently transferred to a picking/sorting station (not shown) where the products contained in the bins are picked and sorted into individual orders. Similarly, bins 10 can be moved by the conveyor system to port 24 from an external location, such as a bin-filling station (not shown), and transported to a stack 12 by the load handling devices 30 to restock the storage structure.
If it is necessary to retrieve a bin (âtarget binâ) that is not located on the top of stack 12 , then the overlying bins 10 a (ânon-target binsâ) (e.g., the bins located between the target bin 10 b and rails 22 ) must first be moved to allow load handling device 30 to access the target bin. This operation is referred to as âdiggingâ.
FIG. 5 illustrates a known digging operation in which one of the load handling devices 30 sequentially lifts each non-target bin 10 a from the stack 12 of bins 10 containing target bin 10 b. Each of the non-target bins 10 a may be placed in a temporary location on top of another stack 12 . After each of the non-target bins 10 a have been removed, target bin 10 b can be extracted from frame 14 by load handling device 30 and transported to port 24 . After target bin 10 b has been extracted, non-target bins 10 a may be placed back in the original stack 12 to restore the original order of the stack less the target bin.
Each of the load handling devices 30 may be operated under the control of a central computer. Each individual bin 10 in the system is tracked, so that the appropriate bins can be retrieved, transported and replaced as necessary. For example, during a digging operation, the temporary locations of each of the non-target bins 10 a is logged, so that the non-target bins can be replaced in the stack in a particular order.
While the system illustrated in FIGS. 1 - 5 allows for the dense storage of products, it requires the transportation of entire containers of products back-and-forth between the stacks and the picking/sorting zones, during which time products cannot be picked and sorted into new incoming orders, thus reducing total system throughput. In order to minimize bin transportation, target bins 10 b are typically only retrieved and transported to the picking/sorting stations after multiple orders have been placed for a product item of one type. Although this method reduces bin transportation, order fulfilment times are often lengthier than desired, particularly if an order contains one or more products that are infrequently ordered by consumers. For this reason, âpiece pickingâ inventory from the known frame structure 14 has been contemplated. U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2018/0319590 and 2018/0346243, for example, disclose a robot equipped with a picking arm to pick individual items from a container located in the frame structure. Nevertheless, the picking robots and systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Pub. Nos. 2018/0319590 and 2018/0346243 are not robust enough to handle the picking of a wide variety of products.
The present disclosure, on the other hand, provides a robot having a picking manipulator (sometimes referred to herein as a âpicking armâ) coupleable to a gripping tool for grasping a variety of products and placing the products into one of a plurality of order containers. To date, a major barrier in developing robotic picking arms has been the inability of the picking arm to consistently grasp products of varying sizes, shapes, weights, materials, surface textures, densities, mass distributions, stiffnesses and fragilities. While picking arms equipped with pneumatic gripping tools have been contemplated as one potential solution for gripping a wide variety of products, these gripping tools require extensive suction force and flow rate that can only be produced by large vacuum pumps and/or compressors (e.g., smaller vacuum pumps/compressors are only capable of providing adequate suction for a very small range of items). Oversized pneumatic compressors and/or vacuum pumps, however, are prohibitively large for load handling device 30 or similarly sized vehicles. In other words, load handling device 30 is not capable of carrying a large pneumatic compressor and/or vacuum pump within vehicle body 32 . Increasing the size of the vehicle body 32 to allow load handling device 30 to carry an oversized pneumatic compressor and/or vacuum pump would require modifying the footprint of the vehicle body to a size that would consume a large number of grid spaces. As a result, fewer load handling devices would be able occupy the grid at a single time and throughput of the system would be reduced. For this reason, robots with pneumatic gripping tools have generally been confined to the floor of a warehouse and are often fixed to a stationary base.
The present disclosure provides a robotic system including a storage structure equipped with a pneumatic air supply system and a compact mobile, manipulator robot selectively coupleable to the pneumatic air supply system to allow the mobile, manipulator robot to grasp inventory items with its pneumatic gripping tool. As a result, the robot can grasp a large variety of products while traversing across the storage structure and support larger payloads during grasping. The ability of the mobile, manipulator robot to quickly and efficiently grasp a wide variety of inventory items is further improved by the robot's ability to quickly switch between two or more pneumatic gripping tools and request grasping assistance from a teleoperator if the robot is unable to autonomously grasp an item during an edge case scenario (or the predicted control instructions have high uncertainty or low confidence). The mobile, manipulator robot can thus continue its normal operation with minimal downtime or interruption. These improvements, among other advantages, are discussed in further detail in this disclosure.
FIG. 6 A is a schematic illustration of a robotic system 100 according to an embodiment of the present disclosure. A robot, such as mobile, manipulator robot 200 (sometimes referred to herein as âmanipulator robotâ or ârobotâ), may be housed in a storage system 101 such as a warehouse, or other fulfillment center (hereinafter âwarehouseâ), and tasked with picking inventory items contained within storage structure 114 . Robot 200 may operate in one of two modes: an autonomous mode, by executing autonomous control instructions, or a tele-operated mode, in which the control instructions are manually piloted (e.g., directly controlled) by an operator. While the term âcontrol instructionsâ (whether autonomous or piloted) is primarily described herein as instructions for grasping an item, it will be appreciated that the term may additionally refer to a variety of other robotic tasks such as the recognition of an inventory item, the placement or release of a grasped item (e.g., in a particular location or orientation) or any other robotic task that facilitates order fulfillment. In one embodiment, robot 200 may be a machine learning robot capable of executing autonomous or piloted control instructions.
Robotic system 100 includes one or more operator interfaces 102 , at least one of which may be located at a remote site outside of warehouse 101 , one or
CLAIMS
Claims ( 20 )
1 . A robot, comprising:
a body coupled to a wheel assembly, the wheel assembly arranged to move the body along a first set of parallel rails extending in a first horizontal direction and a second set of parallel rails extending in a second horizontal direction perpendicular to the first horizontal direction; an air tank configured to store compressed air; a picking manipulator coupled to the body and in fluid communication with the air tank, the picking manipulator having at least three degrees of freedom; and a first pneumatic gripping element moveable by the picking manipulator for grasping inventory items.
2 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the air tank is refillable.
3 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the air tank has a volume of less than 20 cubic feet.
4 . The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a coupler having a mating end in selective communication with the air tank, the mating end of the coupler being configured to access compressed air from an external source to refill the air tank.
5 . The robot of claim 1 , further comprising a second pneumatic gripping element.
6 . The robot of claim 5 , wherein the first pneumatic gripping element and the second pneumatic gripping element are provided on a single tool.
7 . The robot of claim 5 , wherein the first pneumatic gripping element is provided on a first tool and the second pneumatic gripping element is provided on a second tool different from the first tool.
8 . The robot of claim 7 , wherein the first tool and the second tool are removably connectable to the picking manipulator.
9 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the wheel assembly comprises a plurality of wheels pivotable between a first orientation in which and each one of the plurality of wheels is aligned in the first horizontal direction and a second orientation in which each one of the plurality of wheels is aligned in the second horizontal direction.
10 . The robot of claim 1 , wherein the wheel assembly includes a first set of wheels oriented in the first horizontal direction to guide movement of the body along the first set of parallel rails and a second set of wheels oriented in the second horizontal direction to guide movement of the body along the second set of parallel rails.
11 . A system, comprising:
a storage structure including vertical members supporting a grid formed of a first set of parallel rails extending in a first horizontal direction and a second set of parallel rails extending in a second horizontal direction substantially perpendicular to the first horizontal direction, the grid defining a plurality of grid spaces; a plurality of containers arranged in vertical stacks, each one of the vertical stacks arranged underneath a respective one of the grid spaces; and a robot, comprising:
a body coupled to a wheel assembly, the wheel assembly arranged to move the body along the first set of parallel rails and the second set of parallel rails;
an air tank configured to store compressed air;
a picking manipulator coupled to the body and in fluid communication with the air tank, the picking manipulator having at least three degrees of freedom; and
a pneumatic gripping element moveable by the picking manipulator for grasping inventory items.
12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the air tank is refillable.
13 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the air tank has a volume of less than 20 cubic feet.
14 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the storage structure further comprises a supply line provided with a plurality of valves, each of the plurality of valves being transitionable between a closed condition and an open condition.
15 . The system of claim 14 , wherein the robot further comprises a coupler having a mating end in selective communication with the air tank, the mating end of the coupler being configured to access compressed air from the supply line to refill the air tank when engaged with one of the plurality of valves in the open condition.
16 . The system of claim 14 , wherein at least some of the plurality of valves is provided within the first set of parallel rails and/or the second set of parallel rails.
17 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the storage structure includes a swap port arranged to disengage a power source from the robot and engage another power source to the robot.
18 . The system of claim 17 , wherein the swap port is a battery swap port.
19 . The robot of claim 11 , wherein the pneumatic gripping element is moveable by the picking manipulator in a vertical direction below the grid to pick inventory from the plurality of containers.
20 . A robot, comprising:
a body coupled to a wheel assembly arranged to move the body along a surface in horizontal direction; an air tank configured to store compressed air; a picking manipulator coupled to the body and in fluid communication with the air tank, the picking manipulator having at least three degrees of freedom; and a first pneumatic gripping clement moveable by the picking manipulator for grasping inventory items.
US18/528,140
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2023-12-04
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( en )
2013-03-19
2015-01-07
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Mine tunnel compressed air sequent conveying device and conveying method thereof
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( en )
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