IP Library Granted Patent US 12,097,626
Granted Patent B2
US 12,097,626 · App. 17/699,742 · Granted Sep 24, 2024

Article pickup system, article pickup robot, article pickup method, and article pickup program

Inventor: Koichi Ikeda (Nagoya Aichi-ken, JP)
Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
B25J9/1697B25J5/007B25J9/1679
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,097,626
App. No.
17/699,742
Granted
Sep 24, 2024
Kind
B2
Abstract

The article pickup system includes: a camera that is provided in a mobile body capable of moving in an environment where a plurality of articles to be picked up are present and that acquires image data by capturing the plurality of articles; and an article pickup robot that moves in the environment and picks up the plurality of captured articles. The article pickup robot includes: a camera position acquisition unit that detects the camera and then acquires position information of the camera; an article position specification unit that specifies positions of the plurality of articles based on the position information of the camera; a mobile unit that moves to the specified positions; and a pickup unit that picks up the plurality of articles at the positions to which the mobile unit has moved.

Claims (66)

1. An article pickup system comprising:

a mobile body configured to move in an environment where a plurality of articles to be picked up are present, the mobile body having a camera configured to acquire image data by capturing the plurality of articles; and

an article pickup robot configured to move in the environment and pick up the plurality of captured articles, wherein

the article pickup robot comprises:

an article pickup robot camera configured to capture an environment image of the environment;

a camera position acquisition unit configured to acquire camera recognition image data which is image data including appearance information of the camera, detect the camera based on the camera recognition image data and the environment image, and then acquire position information of the detected camera;

an article position specification unit configured to specify positions of the plurality of articles based on the position information of the camera;

a mobile unit configured to move to the specified positions; and

a pickup unit configured to pick up the plurality of articles at the positions to which the mobile unit has moved.

2. The article pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein

the camera position acquisition unit further acquires posture information indicating a posture of the camera, and

the article position specification unit specifies the positions of the plurality of articles based on the position information and the posture information.

3. The article pickup system according to claim 1 , further comprising a display apparatus configured to display the image data,

wherein the display apparatus is movable together with the camera in the environment.

4. The article pickup system according to claim 3 , wherein the article pickup robot receives a selection of the article to be picked up from among the displayed image data from a user and picks up the selected article.

5. The article pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein

the mobile body further comprises a pickup container capable of storing the plurality of articles, and

the article pickup robot picks up the plurality of articles and puts them in the pickup container.

6. The article pickup system according to claim 1 , wherein:

the article pickup robot camera is further configured to capture an image of an external appearance of the mobile body;

the article pickup robot includes a central processing unit configured to acquire mobile body recognition image data which includes image data of the mobile body captured of the external appearance of the mobile body and recognize the mobile body from the acquired mobile body recognition image data.

7. The article pickup system according to claim 1 further comprising:

a central processing unit that includes the camera position acquisition unit and the article position specification unit,

wherein the mobile unit includes a pair of drive wheels, and

wherein the pickup unit includes an articulated arm.

8. The article pickup robot according to claim 1 further comprising:

a central processing unit that includes the camera position acquisition unit and the article position specification unit,

wherein the mobile unit includes a pair of drive wheels, and

wherein the pickup unit includes an articulated arm.

9. An article pickup robot comprising:

an article pickup robot camera configured to capture an environment image of an environment;

a camera position acquisition unit configured to acquire camera recognition image data which is image data including appearance information of the camera, detect a camera based on the camera recognition image data and the environment image, and then acquire position information of the detected camera, the camera being configured to acquire image data by capturing a plurality of articles to be picked up;

an article position specification unit configured to specify positions of the plurality of captured articles based on the position information of the camera;

a mobile unit configured to move to the specified positions; and

a pickup unit configured to pick up the plurality of articles at the positions to which the mobile unit has moved,

wherein the camera is provided in a mobile body capable of moving in the environment where the plurality of articles are present.

10. The article pickup robot according to claim 9 , wherein:

the article pickup robot camera is further configured to capture an image of an external appearance of the mobile body, and

the article pickup robot includes a central processing unit configured to acquire mobile body recognition image data which includes image data of the mobile body captured of the external appearance of the mobile body and recognize the mobile body from the acquired mobile body recognition image data.

11. An article pickup method comprising:

capturing an environment image of an environment by an article pickup robot camera;

acquiring camera recognition image data which is image data including appearance information of a camera;

detecting the camera based on the camera recognition image data and the environment image, and then acquiring position information of the detected camera, the detected camera being configured to acquire image data by capturing a plurality of articles to be picked up;

specifying positions of the plurality of captured articles based on the position information of the detected camera;

moving a mobile unit to the specified positions; and

picking up the plurality of articles at the positons to which the mobile unit has moved,

wherein the detected camera is provided in a mobile body, the mobile body being capable of moving in an environment where the plurality of articles are present.

12. The article pickup method according to claim 11 , further comprising:

capturing an image of an external appearance of the mobile body by the article pickup robot camera;

acquiring mobile body recognition image data, the mobile body recognition image data includes image data of the mobile body captured of the external appearance of the mobile body; and

recognizing the mobile body by the control apparatus from the acquired mobile body recognition image data.

13. The article pickup method according to claim 11 , wherein the mobile unit includes a pair of drive wheels, and

wherein the pickup unit includes an articulated arm.

14. A non-transitory computer readable medium storing an article pickup program for causing a computer to execute:

processing of capturing an environment image of an environment by an article pickup robot camera;

processing of acquiring camera recognition image data which is image data including appearance information of a camera;

processing of detecting the camera based on the camera recognition image data and the environment image; and

processing of acquiring position information of the detected camera, the detected camera being configured to acquire image data by capturing a plurality of articles to be picked up;

processing of specifying positions of the plurality of captured articles based on the position information of the detected camera;

processing of moving a mobile unit to the specified positions; and

processing of picking up the plurality of articles at the positions to which the mobile unit has moved,

wherein the detected camera is provided in a mobile body, the mobile body capable of moving in an environment where the plurality of articles are present.

15. The non-transitory computer readable medium article pickup system according to claim 14 , further comprising:

processing of capturing an image of an external appearance of the mobile body by the article pickup robot camera;

processing of acquiring mobile body recognition image data, the mobile body recognition image data includes image data of the mobile body captured of the external appearance of the mobile body; and

processing of recognizing the mobile body by the control apparatus from the acquired mobile body recognition image data.

Assignments (1)
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Mar 22, 2022
From: IKEDA, KOICHI
To: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
Reel/Frame 059332/0423 →
Priority Claims (1)
JP 2021-049876 · Mar 24, 2021 · national
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20220305664A1 · Sep 29, 2022
Cited By (16)
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