US 12,214,512 B2
Coordinating multiple robots to meet workflow and avoid conflict
Zhouwen Sun, Redwood City, CA (US); Kevin Jose Chavez, Redwood City, CA (US); Samir Menon, Atherton, CA (US); Harry Zhe Su, Union City, CA (US); Talbot Morris-Downing, Redwood City, CA (US); Rohit Arka Pidaparthi, Mountain View, CA (US); Ayush Sharma, Belmont, CA (US); and Raphael Georg Wirth, Breisach (DE)
Assigned to Dexterity, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed by Dexterity, Inc., Redwood City, CA (US)
Filed on Aug. 25, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/238,048.
Application 18/238,048 is a continuation of application No. 17/132,426, filed on Dec. 23, 2020, granted, now 11,780,096.
Application 17/132,426 is a continuation of application No. 16/916,601, filed on Jun. 30, 2020, granted, now 10,954,081, issued on Mar. 23, 2021.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/993,579, filed on Mar. 23, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/926,165, filed on Oct. 25, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2024/0091949 A1, Mar. 21, 2024
Int. Cl. G06F 7/00 (2006.01); B07C 1/04 (2006.01); B25J 9/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 13/08 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01); B65G 47/90 (2006.01); B65G 47/91 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1697 (2013.01) [B07C 1/04 (2013.01); B25J 9/0093 (2013.01); B25J 9/161 (2013.01); B25J 9/1612 (2013.01); B25J 9/1653 (2013.01); B25J 9/1664 (2013.01); B25J 9/1671 (2013.01); B25J 9/1689 (2013.01); B25J 13/08 (2013.01); B25J 15/0616 (2013.01); B65G 47/905 (2013.01); B65G 47/917 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0285 (2013.01); B65G 2203/0216 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system, comprising:
a communication interface; and
a processor coupled to the communication interface and configured to:
receive sensor data via the communication interface, the sensor data including image data associated with a workspace;
use the sensor data to generate a three dimensional view of at least a portion of the workspace, the three dimensional view including boundaries of a plurality of items present in the workspace;
determine that no available grasp strategies exist for grasping an item among the plurality of items in the workspace;
in response to a determination that no available grasp strategies exist for grasping an item in the workspace,
determine a plan to operate robotic structure to change a state of the plurality of items or a flow of items into the workspace;
cause the robotic structure to implement the plan to change a state of the plurality of items or a flow of items into the workspace; and
in response to changing the state of the plurality of items or the flow of items, for each item of at least a subset of items, determine a grasp strategy for a current state of the item;
for each grasp strategy, determine a probability of grasp success, wherein the probability of grasp success is computed based at least in part on learned data corresponding to historical attempts to grasp a similar item; and
use the grasp strategies and corresponding probabilities of grasp success to determine and implement a plan to autonomously operate a robotic structure to pick one or more items from the workspace and place each item singly in a corresponding location in a singulation conveyance structure.
 
19. A method, comprising:
receiving sensor data via a communication interface, the sensor data including image data associated with a workspace;
using the sensor data to generate a three dimensional view of at least a portion of the workspace, the three dimensional view including boundaries of a plurality of items present in the workspace;
determining that no available grasp strategies exist for grasping an item among the plurality of items in the workspace;
in response to a determination that no available grasp strategies exist for grasping an item in the workspace,
determining a plan to operate robotic structure to change a state of the plurality of items or a flow of items into the workspace;
causing the robotic structure to implement the plan to change a state of the plurality of items or a flow of items into the workspace; and
in response to changing the state of the plurality of items or the flow of items, for each item of at least a subset of items, determining a grasp strategy for a current state of the item;
for each grasp strategy, determining probability of grasp success, wherein the corresponding probability of grasp success is computed based at least in part on learned data corresponding to historical attempts to grasp a similar item; and
using the grasp strategies and corresponding probabilities of grasp success to determine and implement a plan to autonomously operate a robotic structure to pick one or more items from the workspace and place each item singly in a corresponding location in a singulation conveyance structure.