Systems and methods for providing contact detection in an articulated arm

1. A sensing manipulator of an articulated arm, said sensing manipulator providing a vacuum source at a compliant section of an end effector, wherein the compliant section includes a flexible section formed in the shape of a tubular or conical bellows, said sensing manipulator comprising the compliant section for engaging an object and a movement detection system for detecting movement in at least two degrees of freedom of the compliant section as the compliant section engages an object and the sensing manipulator moves the object, wherein the movement detection system includes at least one force sensitive resistor.

2. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein movement of said compliant section is detectable by the movement detection system in three degrees of freedom.

3. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the compliant section is provided as a vacuum cup at an end effector portion of the articulated arm.

4. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein said end effector portion is provided with a vacuum at an opening of the tubular or conical bellows that is in communication with the vacuum source.

5. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 4 , wherein the opening is provided at a rim that contacts the object and wherein the movement detection system detects movement of the compliant section at the opening in the at least two degrees of freedom.

6. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movement detection system includes at least three force sensitive resistors.

7. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the force sensitive resistors are provided radially outside of the tubular or conical bellows.

8. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 6 , wherein the sensing manipulator includes a mounting element for coupling to the articulated arm.

9. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the mounting element is generally radially centrally located with respect to the tubular or conical bellows.

10. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the movement of the compliant section is detected in each of three degrees of freedom.

11. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the at least two degrees of freedom include at least two of load, pitch, roll and yaw.

12. A sensing manipulator of an articulated arm, said sensing manipulator providing a vacuum source at a compliant section, said sensing manipulator comprising the compliant section for engaging an object, the compliant section providing movement in at least two degrees of freedom, and a movement detection system including at least one force sensitive resistor for detecting movement of the compliant section in the at least two degrees of freedom of the compliant section as the compliant section engages an object, and for providing output data regarding movement of the compliant section in the at least two degrees of freedom.

13. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the compliant section is provided as a vacuum cup at an end effector portion of the articulated arm.

14. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein said end effector portion is provided with a vacuum at an opening of a tubular or conical bellows that is in communication with a vacuum source.

15. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 14 , wherein the opening is provided at a rim that contacts the object and wherein the movement detection system detects movement of the compliant section at the opening in the at least two degrees of freedom.

16. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the compliant section includes a flexible section formed in the shape of a tubular or conical bellows.

17. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the movement detection systems provides output data regarding movement of the compliant section in the at least two degrees of freedom.

18. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the movement detection system includes at least three force sensitive resistors.

19. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the sensing manipulator includes a mounting element for coupling to the articulated arm.

20. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 19 , wherein the mounting element is generally radially centrally located with respect to the tubular or conical bellows.

21. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 12 , wherein the at least two degrees of freedom include at least two of load, pitch, roll and yaw.

22. A method of determining the position and orientation of an object held by an end effector of a programmable motion system, said method comprising the steps of:

engaging the object in a working environment of the programmable motion system using a compliant section of the end effector such that the compliant section directly engages the object;

perceiving an initial position of a movement detector;

lifting the object against gravity;

perceiving a subsequent position of the movement detector, wherein a difference between the initial position and the subsequent position includes at least two degrees of freedom; and

determining at least one of load, pitch, roll and yaw of the object responsive to the difference between the initial position of the movement detector and the subsequent position of the movement detector.

23. The method as claimed in claim 22 , wherein the complaint section is provided as a tubular or conical vacuum bellows.

24. A sensing manipulator of an articulated arm, said sensing manipulator providing a vacuum source at a compliant section of an end effector, said sensing manipulator comprising the compliant section for engaging an object and a movement detection system for detecting movement in at least two degrees of freedom of the compliant section as the compliant section engages an object and the sensing manipulator moves the object, wherein the movement detection system includes at least three force sensitive resistors.

25. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein movement of said compliant section is detectable by the movement detection system in three degrees of freedom.

26. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the compliant section is provided as a vacuum cup at an end effector portion of the articulated arm.

27. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein said end effector portion is provided with a vacuum at an opening of a tubular or conical bellows that is in communication with the vacuum source.

28. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 27 , wherein the opening is provided at a rim that contacts the object and wherein the movement detection system detects movement of the compliant section at the opening in the at least two degrees of freedom.

29. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the compliant section includes a flexible section formed in the shape of a tubular or conical bellows.

30. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the sensing manipulator includes a mounting element for coupling to the articulated arm.

31. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 30 , wherein the mounting element is generally radially centrally located with respect to the tubular or conical bellows.

32. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the movement of the compliant section is detected in each of three degrees of freedom.

33. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 24 , wherein the at least two degrees of freedom include at least two of load, pitch, roll and yaw.

34. A sensing manipulator of an articulated arm, said sensing manipulator providing a vacuum source at a compliant section of an end effector, said sensing manipulator comprising the compliant section for engaging an object and a movement detection system for detecting movement in at least two degrees of freedom of the compliant section as the compliant section engages an object and the sensing manipulator moves the object, wherein the at least two degrees of freedom include at least two of load, pitch, roll and yaw.

35. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein movement of said compliant section is detectable by the movement detection system in three degrees of freedom.

36. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the compliant section is provided as a vacuum cup at an end effector portion of the articulated arm.

37. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein said end effector portion is provided with a vacuum at an opening of a tubular or conical bellows that is in communication with the vacuum source.

38. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 37 , wherein the opening is provided at a rim that contacts the object and wherein the movement detection system detects movement of the compliant section at the opening in the at least two degrees of freedom.

39. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the compliant section includes a flexible section formed in the shape of a tubular or conical bellows.

40. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 39 , wherein the movement detection system includes at least one force sensitive resistor.

41. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the movement detection system includes at least three movement detectors.

42. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 41 , wherein the movement detectors each include a force sensitive resistor.

43. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 41 , wherein the movement detectors each include a magnetic field sensor.

44. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the movement detection system includes an attachment band around the complaint section.

45. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 34 , wherein the movement of the compliant section is detected in each of three degrees of freedom.

46. A sensing manipulator of an articulated arm, said sensing manipulator providing a vacuum source at a compliant section, said sensing manipulator comprising the compliant section for engaging an object, the compliant section providing movement in at least two degrees of freedom, and a movement detection system for detecting movement of the compliant section in the at least two degrees of freedom of the compliant section as the compliant section engages an object, and for providing output data regarding movement of the compliant section in the at least two degrees of freedom, wherein the at least two degrees of freedom include at least two of load, pitch, roll and yaw.

47. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the compliant section is provided as a vacuum cup at an end effector portion of the articulated arm.

48. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein said end effector portion is provided with a vacuum at an opening of a tubular or conical bellows that is in communication with the vacuum source.

49. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 48 , wherein the opening is provided at a rim that contacts the object and wherein the movement detection system detects movement of the compliant section at the opening in the at least two degrees of freedom.

50. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the compliant section includes a flexible section formed in the shape of a tubular or conical bellows.

51. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the movement detection systems provides output data regarding movement of the compliant section in the at least two degrees of freedom.

52. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the movement detection system includes at least three movement detectors.

53. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the movement detection system includes a force sensitive resistor.

54. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the movement detection system includes a magnetic field sensor.

55. The sensing manipulator as claimed in claim 46 , wherein the movement detection system includes an attachment band around the compliant section.