US 11,938,617 B1
Rotating end of arm tool including asymmetrical independently controllable suction zones
Jude Jonas, Hudson, NH (US); Bertan Atamer, Hudson, MA (US); Gregory Thomas Merlino, Westford, MA (US); Gregory Coleman, Somerville, MA (US); Robert Kevin Katzschmann, Cambridge, MA (US); Erica Aduh, Cambridge, MA (US); Manikantan Nambi, Malden, MA (US); Beth A. Marcus, Bedford, MA (US); Kristin Covelle, Arlington, MA (US); and Areej Pirzada, Lexington, MA (US)
Assigned to Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed by Amazon Technologies, Inc., Seattle, WA (US)
Filed on Jan. 11, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/145,987.
Application 17/145,987 is a continuation of application No. 16/586,568, filed on Sep. 27, 2019, granted, now 10,913,165.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/855,905, filed on May 31, 2019.
Int. Cl. B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B65G 47/91 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 15/0683 (2013.01) [B65G 47/91 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A computer-implemented method, comprising:
obtaining, from at least one sensor mounted to a robotic manipulator or mounted at any other location relative to the one or more items, sensor data regarding one or more items;
determining a physical characteristic of the one or more items based at least in part on the sensor data;
determining, based at least in part on the physical characteristic, one or more suction zones of an end of arm tool for manipulating a first item of the one or more items;
determining a rotational orientation of the end of arm tool that orients the one or more suction zones with respect to the first item;
instructing the end of arm tool to create a suction force at the one or more suction zones; and
instructing the end of arm tool to pick up the first item using the suction force.