US 11,992,955 B2
Robotic spearing device for performing item capture and sorting, spearing end effector and method for performing same
Eric Camirand, Trois-Rivieres (CA); Michel Laforest, Levis (CA); Pier Grenon, Trois-Rivieres (CA); Nicolas Belanger, El Dorado Hills, CA (US); Jean-Pierre Thibodeau, Montreal (CA); and Frederic Martin, Saint-Etienne-des-Gres (CA)
Assigned to Waste Robotics Inc., Quebec (CA)
Filed by Waste Robotics Inc., Trois-Rivières (CA); and Patrick Dionne, Rimouski (CA)
Filed on Apr. 23, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/238,940.
Application 17/238,940 is a continuation of application No. PCT/CA2019/051501, filed on Oct. 23, 2019.
Claims priority of provisional application 62/749,414, filed on Oct. 23, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0308868 A1, Oct. 7, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 15/00 (2006.01); B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1679 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1697 (2013.01); B25J 15/0071 (2013.01)] 14 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A robotic spearing device for performing capture and sorting of a selected item from a mass of items, the robotic spearing device comprising:
a robotic manipulator having a spearing end effector mounted at an end thereof, the spearing end effector comprising:
a spearing end effector body;
at least one spike configurable between a retracted configuration where the spike is entirely located inside the spearing end effector body and an extended configuration where the spike extends outwardly from the spearing end effector body, the at least one spike being engageable to the selected item when configured in the extended configuration; and
at least one linear actuator having the at least one spike mounted thereon and being movable to configure the at least one spike between the retracted configuration and the extended configuration;
a machine vision system configured to acquire images of the mass of items, to process the images acquired to identify the selected item from the mass of items and to determine the position of the selected item; and
an electronic control system in data communication with the machine vision system and the manipulator, the electronic control system receiving data relative to the position of the selected item from the machine vision system and controlling the manipulator to move the manipulator and position the spearing end effector thereof to allow engagement of the spike of the end effector with the selected item when the spike is moved from the retracted configuration towards the extended configuration.