IP Library Granted Patent US 12,059,810
Granted Patent B2
US 12,059,810 · App. 17/843,666 · Granted Aug 13, 2024

Processing systems and methods for providing processing of a variety of objects

Inventors: Thomas Wagner (Concord, MA); Kevin Ahearn (Nebo, NC); Benjamin Cohen (Somerville, MA); Michael Dawson-Haggerty (Pittsburgh, PA); Christopher Geyer (Arlington, MA); Thomas Koletschka (Cambridge, MA); Kyle Maroney (North Attleboro, MA); Matthew T. Mason (Pittsburgh, PA); Gene Temple Price (Cambridge, MA); Joseph Romano (Arlington, MA); Daniel Smith (Canonsburg, PA); Siddhartha Srinivasa (Seattle, WA); Prasanna Velagapudi (Pittsburgh, PA); Thomas Allen (Reading, MA)
Assignee: Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc.
B25J9/1669B07C3/18B07C5/36B25J9/0093B25J9/1612B25J9/1664B25J9/1687B25J9/1697B25J19/04G05B19/4183G05B2219/32037G05B2219/39106G05B2219/39295G05B2219/39476G05B2219/39484G05B2219/39504G05B2219/39548G05B2219/40053G05B2219/40078G05B2219/40116G05B2219/40538G05B2219/45045Y02P90/02
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,059,810
App. No.
17/843,666
Granted
Aug 13, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

A sortation system is disclosed that includes a programmable motion device including an end effector, a perception system for recognizing any of the identity, location, and orientation of an object presented in a plurality of objects, a grasp selection system for selecting a grasp location on the object, the grasp location being chosen to provide a secure grasp of the object by the end effector to permit the object to be moved from the plurality of objects to one of a plurality of destination locations, and a motion planning system for providing a motion path for the transport of the object when grasped by the end effector from the plurality of objects to the one of the plurality of destination locations, wherein the motion path is chosen to provide a path from the plurality of objects to the one of the plurality of destination locations.

Claims (33)

1. An object processing system comprising:

a programmable motion device including an end effector;

a perception unit for capturing real time image data of the plurality of objects at an input area, at least some of the plurality of objects not being fully visible to the perception unit when the real time image data is captured; and

an interactive display system including a touch screen input display for displaying the real time image data of the plurality of objects at the input area, and for receiving via the touch screen input display input data representative of whether a grasp location on a selected object of the plurality of objects is advisable for using the end effector of the programmable motion device to grasp the selected object.

2. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the selected object of the plurality of objects is not fully visible to the perception unit when the real time image data is captured, and wherein the input data is representative of the grasp location on the selected object of the plurality of objects being not advisable for using the end effector of the programmable motion device to grasp the selected object.

3. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the real time image data is 2D image data.

4. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the real time image data is 3D image data.

5. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the perception unit further detects any of bar codes, QR codes, UPC codes or other product codes on any of the plurality of objects.

6. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the real time image data of the plurality of objects at the input area includes a plurality of proposed grasp locations associated with the plurality of objects.

7. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the perception unit further identifies planar or low curvature portions of a surface of an object of the plurality of objects and a direction normal to each identified planar or low curvature portion of the surface of the object.

8. The object processing system as claimed in claim 1 , wherein the object processing system determines the grasp location associated with the selected object responsive to learned information provided by a set of learned experiences.

9. The object processing system as claimed in claim 8 , wherein the set of learned experiences are provided by past grasp attempts.

10. An object processing system comprising:

a programmable motion device including an end effector;

a perception unit for capturing real time image data of a container that includes at least one object at an input area;

a processing system for determining that human assistance is desired for processing the at least one object; and

an interactive display system for displaying the real time image data of the at least one object at the input area, and for receiving input data representative of whether a grasp location on the object is advisable for using the end effector of the programmable motion device to grasp the selected object.

11. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the real time image data is 2D image data.

12. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the real time image data is 3D image data.

13. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the perception unit further detects any of bar codes, QR codes, UPC codes or other product codes on any of the plurality of objects.

14. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the real time image data of the plurality of objects at the input area includes a plurality of proposed grasp locations associated with the plurality of objects.

15. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the perception unit further identifies planar or low curvature portions of a surface of an object of the plurality of objects and a direction normal to each identified planar or low curvature portion of the surface of the object.

16. The object processing system as claimed in claim 10 , wherein the object processing system determines the grasp location associated with the selected object responsive to learned information provided by a set of learned experiences.

17. The object processing system as claimed in claim 16 , wherein the set of learned experiences are provided by past grasp attempts.

18. A method of processing objects received at an input area, said method comprising:

providing a programmable motion device with an end effector;

capturing first real time image data by a perception unit of at least one object provided in a container at the input area;

using the end effector to stir the at least one object in the container at the input area;

capturing second real time image data by the perception unit of the at least one object provided in the container at the input area; and

grasping the at least one object using the end effector of the programmable motion device based on the second real time image data.

19. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the method further includes identifying, by a processing unit, planar or low curvature portions of a surface of an object of the at least one object and a direction normal to the identified planar or low curvature portion of the surface of the at least one object.

20. The method as claimed in claim 18 , wherein the method further includes determining a grasp location associated with the selected object, by a processing unit, responsive to learned information provided by a set of learned experiences.

21. The method as claimed in claim 20 , wherein the set of learned experiences are provided by past grasp attempts.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Aug 23, 2022
From: WAGNER, THOMAS; AHEARN, KEVIN; COHEN, BENJAMIN; DAWSON-HAGGERTY, MICHAEL; GEYER, CHRISTOPHER; KOLETSCHKA, THOMAS; MARONEY, KYLE; MASON, MATTHEW T.; PRICE, GENE TEMPLE; ROMANO, JOSEPH; SMITH, DANIEL; SRINIVASA, SIDDHARTHA; VELAGAPUDI, PRASANNA; ALLEN, THOMAS
To: BERKSHIRE GREY OPERATING COMPANY, INC.
Reel/Frame 060866/0894 →
Continuity (5)
Continuation 16775798 · Jan 29, 2020
Continuation 15348498 · Nov 10, 2016
Provisional Application 62277234 · Jan 11, 2016
Provisional Application 62255069 · Nov 13, 2015
Related Publication 20220314447A1 · Oct 6, 2022
Cited By (1)
US 12,440,987