US 12,109,700 B2
Optimization method for improving the reliability of goods commissioning using a robot
Maximilian Beinhofer, Thalheim bei Wels (AT); Alexander Balasch, Wels (AT); and Harald Schroepf, Wels (AT)
Assigned to TGW Logistics Group GmbH, Marchtrenk (AT)
Appl. No. 17/289,887
Filed by TGW Logistics Group GmbH, Marchtrenk (AT)
PCT Filed Nov. 20, 2019, PCT No. PCT/AT2019/060395
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date Apr. 29, 2021,
PCT Pub. No. WO2020/102840, PCT Pub. Date May 28, 2020.
Claims priority of application No. 51021/2018 (AT), filed on Nov. 21, 2018.
Prior Publication US 2021/0402595 A1, Dec. 30, 2021
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1612 (2013.01) [B25J 9/1653 (2013.01); B25J 9/1687 (2013.01); B25J 9/1697 (2013.01)] 24 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An optimization method for improving the reliability of a pickup and discharge of articles according to an order in a picking process using a robot, wherein the robot has a robot head movable relative to a robot base and comprises a gripping unit, and wherein the picking process comprises the steps of picking up an article having an outer packaging from or out of a first load carrier and placing in or on or dropping into or onto a second load carrier by means of the gripping unit, the method comprising:
performing an image processing step comprising determining a gripping surface size and a gripping surface pose of the article by an opto-sensory preparation and analysis system, and calculating a gripping pose for the gripping unit from the gripping surface size and the gripping surface pose of the article determined by the opto-sensory preparation and analysis system,
determining at least one dimension of the outer packaging of the article to provide a determined dimension when the gripping surface size is determined,
comparing the determined dimension with dimension ranges stored in an article parameter field and allocating the determined dimension to an allocated dimension range of the dimension ranges, and
selecting a dimension value for the allocated dimension range, and allocating the dimension value so selected to the determined dimension, wherein depending on a confidence value of the allocated dimension range, the dimension value is selected from stored article reference data or from a normalization value of the allocated dimension range, wherein the normalization value and the confidence value of the allocated dimension range are stored in the article parameter field,
performing a preparation step comprising applying a mathematical scattering measure function for the determined dimension and for the dimension ranges stored in the article parameter field to determine normalization values and confidence values of the dimension ranges, and
moving the gripping unit to the gripping pose for the gripping unit calculated in the image processing step to pick-up the article.