US 12,447,620 B2
Methods and apparatus for controlling a gripper of a robotic device
Neil Neville, Waltham, MA (US); Kyle Edelberg, Claremont, CA (US); and Scott Gilroy, Waltham, MA (US)
Assigned to Boston Dynamics, Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed by Boston Dynamics, Inc., Waltham, MA (US)
Filed on Dec. 19, 2023, as Appl. No. 18/545,148.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/434,507, filed on Dec. 22, 2022.
Prior Publication US 2024/0217104 A1, Jul. 4, 2024
Int. Cl. B25J 9/16 (2006.01); B25J 15/06 (2006.01)
CPC B25J 9/1669 (2013.01) [B25J 15/0616 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. A method, comprising:
activating a plurality of vacuum assemblies of a robotic gripper to grasp one or more objects;
disabling one or more of the plurality of vacuum assemblies having a seal quality with the one or more objects that is less than a first threshold;
assigning a score to each of the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies;
reactivating the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies in an order based, at least in part, on the assigned scores; and
grasping the one or more objects with the robotic gripper when a grasp quality of the robotic gripper is higher than a second threshold.
 
13. A controller for a robotic gripper, the controller comprising:
at least one computer processor programmed to:
activate a plurality of vacuum assemblies of a robotic gripper to grasp one or more objects;
disable one or more of the plurality of vacuum assemblies having a seal quality with the one or more objects that is less than a first threshold;
assign a score to each of the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies;
reactivate the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies in an order based, at least in part, on the assigned scores; and
grasp the one or more objects with the robotic gripper when a grasp quality of the robotic gripper is higher than a second threshold.
 
20. A mobile robotic device, comprising:
a robotic gripper comprising a plurality of vacuum assemblies and at least one pressure sensor associated with each vacuum assembly of the plurality of vacuum assemblies; and
at least one computer processor programmed to:
activate the plurality of vacuum assemblies of the robotic gripper to grasp one or more objects;
disable one or more of the plurality of vacuum assemblies having a seal quality with the one or more objects that is less than a first threshold;
assign a score to each of the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies;
reactivate the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies in an order based, at least in part, on the assigned scores; and
grasp the one or more objects with the robotic gripper when a grasp quality of the robotic gripper is higher than a second threshold.