US 12,226,917 B2
Item feature accommodation
Joel Brooks, Arlington, MA (US); Mark Keck, Woburn, MA (US); and Lael Odhner, Medford, MA (US)
Assigned to RightHand Robotics, Inc., Charlestown, MA (US)
Appl. No. 17/429,983
Filed by RightHand Robotics, Inc., Somerville, MA (US)
PCT Filed Mar. 3, 2020, PCT No. PCT/US2020/020790
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Aug. 11, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/180863, PCT Pub. Date Sep. 10, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/814,343, filed on Mar. 6, 2019.
Prior Publication US 2022/0097237 A1, Mar. 31, 2022
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1697 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1661 (2013.01); G05B 2219/40269 (2013.01); G05B 2219/50391 (2013.01)] 10 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method for performing a picking operation, the method comprising:
receiving imagery of a first item to be grasped by a picking device in the picking operation; executing, using a processor executing instructions stored on memory, an imagery analysis procedure to identify a feature of interest of the first item by dividing the received imagery into a plurality of segments; and
ranking each of the plurality of segments as candidate grasping sites based on a likelihood that each of the plurality of segments contain the feature of interest; wherein the feature of interest is a scannable indicia on the item and may affect the picking device's ability to perform the picking operation; and
generating, using the processor, a grasping plan executable by the picking device, wherein the grasping plan accommodates the feature of interest so that the picking device is able to perform the picking operation, wherein the generated grasping plan instructs the picking device to grasp the first item in a way that ensures the scannable indicia on the item is not contacted or covered by the picking device so that the scannable indicia can be scanned for processing.