US 11,731,792 B2
Kitting machine
Samir Menon, Palo Alto, CA (US); Gerald Brantner, Los Altos, CA (US); Zhouwen Sun, Redwood City, CA (US); Robert Hegdahl, Hayward, CA (US); and Kevin Jose Chavez, Palo Alto, CA (US)
Assigned to Dexterity, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed by Dexterity, Inc., Palo Alto, CA (US)
Filed on Sep. 26, 2018, as Appl. No. 16/143,278.
Prior Publication US 2020/0094997 A1, Mar. 26, 2020
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B65B 5/08 (2006.01); B65B 5/12 (2006.01); B65B 35/54 (2006.01); B65B 43/52 (2006.01); B65B 43/54 (2006.01); B65G 1/137 (2006.01); G05D 1/00 (2006.01); G06Q 10/08 (2023.01); B65B 57/14 (2006.01)
CPC B65B 5/08 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1679 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B65B 5/12 (2013.01); B65B 35/54 (2013.01); B65B 43/52 (2013.01); B65B 43/54 (2013.01); B65B 57/14 (2013.01); B25J 9/1689 (2013.01)] 33 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
an actuator configured to move a surface or receptacle to a position associated with item retrieval;
one or more cameras or sensors within an environment in which a robotic retrieval device operates to retrieve one or more items and pack the one or more items into a box or other container; and
a first controller associated with the actuator;
a second controller associated with the robotic retrieval device;
a processor configured to:
determine the one or more items to retrieve and pack into the box or other container, wherein determining the one or more items includes determining a location from which an item of the one or more items is to be retrieved, and determining one or more attributes associated with the item;
obtain a plan to retrieve the item and to pack the item into the box or other container, wherein:
the plan is based at least in part on the one or more items to be retrieved, the location from which the item is to be retrieved, and the one or more attributes associated with the item; and
the plan includes a coordination of controlling the robotic retrieval device and the actuator so that the actuator moves the item to the position associated with item retrieval and the robotic retrieval device moves to retrieve the item from the position associated with item retrieval; and
control the robotic retrieval device via the second controller and the actuator via the first controller at least in part by:
using at least the robotic retrieval device to attempt to perform an individual task according to a first predefined strategy;
in response to determining that the performing the individual task according to the first predefined strategy was attempted, determining whether the individual task was completed successfully according to the attempt to implement the first predefined strategy;
in response to a determination by the processor that the individual task was not completed using the first predefined strategy:
determining that a plurality of alternative strategies are available to perform the individual task;
selecting a first alternative strategy to perform the individual task from the plurality of alternative strategies based on a respective confidence score associated with the first alternative strategy; and
iteratively using at least the robotic retrieval device to perform the individual task according to the plurality of alternative strategies for the individual task until the earlier of (i) the individual task is completed, or (ii) a prescribed number of attempts have been performed, wherein the plurality of alternative strategies are iteratively used based on their respective confidence scores; and
in response to a determination by the processor that the prescribed number of attempts have been performed, invoking a teleoperation for human intervention in which a user remotely controls the robotic retrieval device to perform the individual task.