US 12,286,310 B2
Systems and methods for processing objects
Thomas Wagner, Concord, MA (US); Kevin Ahearn, Nebo, NC (US); Benjamin Cohen, Somerville, MA (US); Michael Dawson-Haggerty, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Christopher Geyer, Arlington, MA (US); Thomas Koletschka, Cambridge, MA (US); Kyle Maroney, North Attleboro, MA (US); Matthew T. Mason, Pittsburgh, PA (US); Gene Temple Price, Cambridge, MA (US); Joseph Romano, Arlington, MA (US); Daniel Smith, Canonsburg, PA (US); Siddhartha Srinivasa, Seattle, WA (US); Prasanna Velagapudi, Pittsburgh, PA (US); and Thomas Allen, Reading, MA (US)
Assigned to Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc., Bedford, MA (US)
Filed by Berkshire Grey Operating Company, Inc., Bedford, MA (US)
Filed on Aug. 18, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/235,426.
Application 18/235,426 is a continuation of application No. 16/995,015, filed on Aug. 17, 2020, granted, now 11,780,684.
Application 16/995,015 is a continuation of application No. 15/807,213, filed on Nov. 8, 2017, granted, now 10,793,375, issued on Oct. 6, 2020.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/418,973, filed on Nov. 8, 2016.
Prior Publication US 2023/0391560 A1, Dec. 7, 2023
Int. Cl. B65G 47/49 (2006.01); B65G 47/40 (2006.01); B65G 47/82 (2006.01); G05B 19/418 (2006.01)
CPC B65G 47/49 (2013.01) [B65G 47/40 (2013.01); B65G 47/82 (2013.01); G05B 19/4183 (2013.01); G05B 19/4189 (2013.01); B65G 2201/0285 (2013.01); B65G 2203/041 (2013.01); G05B 2219/36371 (2013.01); G05B 2219/40078 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45045 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45047 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45051 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45054 (2013.01); G05B 2219/45056 (2013.01); Y02P 90/02 (2015.11)] 26 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A system for processing objects, said system comprising:
a first conveyor that transports a disorganized stream of objects from an input bin along a first direction to a second conveyor, said first direction including a horizontal component and a vertical component leading up to the second conveyor, and the first conveyor including cleats for engaging the objects;
a robotic arm with an end effector that is programmed to selectively provide a singulated stream of objects on the second conveyor for transport along a second direction that is at least in part orthogonal to the horizontal component of the first direction;
a perception system that generates perception data regarding each object in the singulated stream of objects received from the second conveyor; and
a distribution transport system including a third conveyor that transports the singulated stream of objects in a third direction toward a plurality of shuttle wings adjacent to the third conveyor, each shuttle wing including at least one carriage that transports each object in the singulated stream of objects in a fourth direction away from the perception system to any of a plurality of destination locations into which objects are directed responsive to the perception data, wherein the distribution transport system further includes at least one diverter unit for diverting objects from the third conveyor into the at least one carriage of any of the plurality of shuttle wings.