Control method and device based on transfer robot
By responding to abnormal situations in the transport robot system, automatically transferring target items and continuing to perform remaining tasks, the problems of long and high error rate of exception processing in the prior art are solved, and more efficient and accurate item transfer is achieved.
Patent Information
- Application Number
- CN202311466032.6
- Authority / Receiving Office
- CN · China
- Patent Type
- Applications(China)
- Current Assignee / Owner
- Filing Date
- 2023-11-06
- Publication Date
- 2025-05-06
AI Technical Summary
In the prior art, when dealing with abnormal situations of transporting robots, there are problems such as long time and high error rate of artificial transfer of material boxes.
In response to receiving the replacement request of the abnormal transport robot, the designated transport robot is determined and the replacement task is sent to it. Based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task, the target items of the abnormal transport robot are transferred to the designated transport robot, and the transferred designated transport robot continues to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot.
The timely transfer of items of abnormal transport robots is achieved, the human error rate is reduced, the timeliness and accuracy of item transfer is improved, and the processing efficiency of handling tasks is improved.
Smart Images
Figure CN119927894A_ABST
Abstract
Description
Technical Field
[0001] The present application relates to the field of computer technology, specifically to the field of robot control technology, and in particular to a control method and device based on a transport robot. Background Art
[0002] A handling robot is a device that carries a backpack and a fork. A single handling robot is fully loaded with 8 boxes on its backpack. The fork lifts up and down to grab the boxes on the external shelf, and puts them into the backpack after picking. Each handling robot reports a 6-digit number to the robot control system, for example: 100001. After receiving the task, the handling robot enters the shelf area, takes out the task boxes from the shelf in turn, puts them into the backpack and takes them out. After the picking is completed, other handling robots will take them back and put them back on the shelf.
[0003] When an equipment malfunctions and is temporarily unable to continue working or is unable to work for a long time, since the equipment carrying task must be completed by the handling robot corresponding to the current number, there are mainly two solutions to this equipment abnormality: Solution 1, emergency maintenance and debugging, and rapid online operation; Solution 2, after determining that it cannot be maintained for a long time, the idle handling robot needs to be changed to "manual mode" and replaced with the number of the abnormal handling robot, and the material box of the abnormal handling robot is manually transferred to the idle handling robot, and then the task continues to be executed.
[0004] Among them, both Scheme 1 and Scheme 2 have the problem of being time-consuming, and Scheme 2 also has the problem of a high error rate in manually transferring the material boxes. Summary of the invention
[0005] The embodiments of the present application provide a control method, device, equipment and storage medium based on a transfer robot.
[0006] According to the first aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control method based on a transport robot, the method comprising: in response to receiving a replacement request of an abnormal transport robot, determining a designated transport robot and issuing a replacement task to the designated transport robot; based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task, transferring the target item of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot; in response to determining that the transfer is complete, controlling the designated transport robot after the transfer to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot.
[0007] According to the second aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a control device based on a handling robot, the device comprising: a receiving module, configured to determine a designated handling robot and issue a replacement task to the designated handling robot in response to receiving a replacement request for an abnormal handling robot; a transfer module, configured to transfer the target item of the abnormal handling robot to the designated handling robot based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task; and an execution module, configured to control the designated handling robot after the transfer to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal handling robot in response to determining that the transfer is complete.
[0008] According to the third aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a material handling system, which includes: a shelf, a handling robot and an abnormal replacement shelf; the handling robot is used to transport items on the shelf, and the handling robot includes an abnormal handling robot and a designated handling robot; the abnormal replacement shelf is used to temporarily store target items of the abnormal handling robot; the designated handling robot is used to transfer target items temporarily stored on the abnormal replacement shelf, and after the transfer is completed, the placement of the target item on the designated handling robot is the same as the placement of the target item on the abnormal handling robot.
[0009] According to the fourth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides an electronic device, which includes one or more processors; a storage device, on which one or more programs are stored, and when the one or more programs are executed by the one or more processors, the one or more processors implement a control method based on a handling robot as in any embodiment of the first aspect.
[0010] According to the fifth aspect, an embodiment of the present application provides a computer-readable medium having a computer program stored thereon, which, when executed by a processor, implements a control method based on a transport robot as in any embodiment of the first aspect.
[0011] The present application determines the designated transport robot and issues a replacement task to the designated transport robot in response to receiving a replacement request of the abnormal transport robot; based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task, transfers the target item of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot; in response to determining that the transfer is completed, controls the designated transport robot after the transfer to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot, that is, controls the designated transport robot to transfer the items of the abnormal transport robot and continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot, thereby realizing the timely transfer of the items of the abnormal transport robot and avoiding the problem of high error rate in manual transfer of items, thereby improving the timeliness and accuracy of the transfer of items to the abnormal transport robot, and thereby improving the processing efficiency of the transport tasks.
[0012] It should be understood that the content described in this section is not intended to identify the key or important features of the embodiments of the present disclosure, nor is it intended to limit the scope of the present disclosure. Other features of the present disclosure will become easily understood through the following description. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0013] Figure 1 is an exemplary system architecture diagram to which the present application may be applied;
[0014] Figure 2a is a flow chart of an embodiment of a control method based on a handling robot according to the present application;
[0015] Figure 2b is an appearance structure diagram of a handling robot according to the present application;
[0016] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the control method based on a handling robot according to the present application;
[0017] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a control device based on a handling robot according to the present application;
[0018] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of a material handling system according to the present application;
[0019] Figure 6 It is a structural diagram of a computer system suitable for implementing a server of an embodiment of the present application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0020] The following is a description of exemplary embodiments of the present application in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, including various details of the embodiments of the present application to facilitate understanding, which should be considered as merely exemplary. Therefore, it should be recognized by those of ordinary skill in the art that various changes and modifications can be made to the embodiments described herein without departing from the scope and spirit of the present application. Similarly, for the sake of clarity and conciseness, the description of well-known functions and structures is omitted in the following description.
[0021] It should be noted that, in the absence of conflict, the embodiments and features in the embodiments of the present application can be combined with each other. The present application will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings and in combination with the embodiments.
[0022] Figure 1 An exemplary system architecture 100 is shown to which an embodiment of a transfer robot-based control method or a transfer robot-based control device of the present application can be applied.
[0023] like Figure 1As shown, the system architecture 100 may include a robot control device 101, a network 102, and robots 103 and 104. The robots 103 and 104 may include a designated handling robot and an abnormal handling robot, and the network 102 is used to provide a medium for a communication link between the control device 101 and the robots 103 and 104. The network 102 may include various connection types, such as wired or wireless communication links or optical fiber cables, etc.
[0024] In response to receiving a replacement request for the abnormal handling robot, the control device 101 determines a designated handling robot and issues a replacement task to the designated handling robot; based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task, the control device 101 transfers the target item of the abnormal handling robot to the designated handling robot; in response to determining that the transfer is complete, the control device 101 controls the designated handling robot after the transfer to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal handling robot.
[0025] The control device 101 may be a terminal device or a server, which is used to control the transport robot to transport and transfer items.
[0026] It should be noted that the server can be hardware or software. When the server is hardware, it can be implemented as a distributed server cluster consisting of multiple servers, or it can be implemented as a single server. When the server is software, it can be implemented as multiple software or software modules (for example, used to provide distributed services), or it can be implemented as a single software or software module. No specific limitation is made here.
[0027] It should be noted that the control device 101 may also be a terminal device, and the terminal device may be provided separately or on a transport robot.
[0028] Robots 103 and 104, such as abnormal handling robots and designated handling robots, can interact with the control device 101 through the network 102 to receive or send information, etc. The handling robot can be a mechanical electronic device with computing and execution capabilities, or a combination of a terminal device with control capabilities and a mechanical mechanism. For example, the handling robot can include but is not limited to an automated guided vehicle (AGV), etc.
[0029] It should be noted that the control method based on the handling robot provided in the embodiment of the present application is generally executed by the control device 101 , and accordingly, the control device based on the handling robot is generally arranged in the control device 101 .
[0030] It should be understood that Figure 1The number of control devices, networks, abnormal handling robots, and designated handling robots in the embodiment is only for illustration purposes. Any number of control devices, networks, designated handling robots, and abnormal handling robots may be provided as required.
[0031] Figure 2a A process 200 of an embodiment of a control method based on a transport robot that can be applied to the present application is shown.
[0032] In this embodiment, a fork and a backpack are installed on the transport robot. The backpack is used to temporarily store items, and the fork is used to pick up and place items, and can realize the transfer of items between the shelf and the backpack.
[0033] Here, the backpack can be in various forms, for example, a single-layer backpack, a multi-layer backpack, etc., wherein a single-layer backpack can be divided into multiple storage locations, and the fork can be moved horizontally to put the items into the corresponding storage locations for temporary storage; a multi-layer backpack can be formed by stacking multiple single-layer backpacks, that is, multiple items are placed in layers, and the fork can be moved longitudinally to put the items into the corresponding storage locations for temporary storage.
[0034] Specifically, the appearance structure of the handling robot is as follows: Figure 2b The transport robot may include a base B01, a multi-layer backpack B02, a fork B03 and a slide rail B04, wherein a roller is provided at the bottom of the base B01, a plurality of shelves B021 are provided in the multi-layer backpack B02, the plurality of shelves B021 are arranged in layers, and each shelf B021 is used to place an item, and the slide rail B04 is provided on both sides of the backpack for transporting the fork B03.
[0035] The control method based on the handling robot includes the following steps:
[0036] Step 201 : in response to receiving a replacement request for an abnormal transport robot, determining a designated transport robot and issuing a replacement task to the designated transport robot.
[0037] In this embodiment, the execution subject (for example, Figure 1 The control device 101) can monitor the replacement request sent by the abnormal handling robot in real time or periodically. In response to receiving the replacement request sent by the abnormal handling robot, the execution entity can determine the designated handling robot and issue a replacement task to the designated handling robot.
[0038] Among them, the replacement request sent by the abnormal handling robot can be a replacement request automatically sent by the handling robot when it detects an abnormality in itself, or it can be a replacement request manually sent by the abnormal handling robot after the abnormality occurs in the handling robot. This application does not limit this.
[0039] Here, the designated transport robot is usually a transport robot that is idle or about to complete a corresponding transport task.
[0040] The replacement task may include an identification of a target object placed on the abnormal handling robot and a position of the target object on the abnormal handling robot.
[0041] Here, the identification of the target object can be various information for identifying the object, such as numbers, barcodes, QR codes, etc., and this application does not limit this.
[0042] It should be pointed out that the number of target items can be one or more, and this application does not limit this. The position of the item indicated by the target item in the abnormal handling robot can be the mark of a certain layer of the fork or backpack, for example, the first layer of the backpack, the third layer of the backpack, and so on.
[0043] Specifically, the target items include item A and item B. Item A is located at the fork, and item B is located at the third layer of the backpack.
[0044] Step 202 : Based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task, the target object of the abnormal transport robot is transferred to the designated transport robot.
[0045] In this embodiment, after determining the designated transport robot, the executing entity can first determine whether the target item of the abnormal transport robot is at the abnormal replacement point. If not, the designated transport robot can be directly controlled to run to the position of the designated transport robot, and according to the replacement task, the designated transport robot is controlled to transfer the target item of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot's own backpack or fork; if it is, the designated transport robot is controlled to run to the abnormal replacement point, and at the abnormal replacement point, the designated transport robot is controlled to transfer the target item to the designated transport robot via the fork.
[0046] In some optional methods, based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task, the target item of the abnormal handling robot is transferred to the designated handling robot, including: in response to determining that the target item of the abnormal handling robot is at the abnormal replacement point, based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task, at the abnormal replacement point, the target item of the abnormal handling robot is transferred to the designated handling robot.
[0047] In this implementation, if the target object of the abnormal handling robot is at the abnormal replacement point, the designated handling robot is controlled to run to the abnormal replacement point. In response to determining that the designated robot has arrived at the abnormal replacement point, the designated handling robot is controlled to transfer the target object to the designated handling robot according to the replacement task.
[0048] Here, at the abnormal replacement point, according to the replacement task, the method of controlling the designated transport robot to transfer the target item to the designated transport robot can be to first obtain the identification of each target item one by one through an image acquisition device and / or a scanning device, and then transfer the target item to the corresponding position of the designated transport robot according to the position of the target item corresponding to the identification of the target item in the replacement task on the abnormal transport robot.
[0049] Here, the abnormal replacement point can be set as an abnormal replacement shelf for placing the target items of the abnormal handling robot. After the target items are placed, the designated handling robot can be configured according to the height and angle of the abnormal replacement shelf so that the designated handling robot can obtain the item identification and grab the item.
[0050] It should be pointed out that items of other abnormal handling robots may also be placed in the abnormal replacement shelf.
[0051] Specifically, after the designated transport robot arrives at the abnormal replacement point, the designated transport robot can be controlled to obtain the identification of the item on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point, and match the identification with the identification in the replacement task. In response to a match failure, that is, the current item is not the target item, the next item will continue to be scanned. In response to a match success, based on the position of the target item, that is, the position of the target item in the abnormal transport robot, the designated transport robot is controlled to place the current item at the corresponding position of the designated transport robot.
[0052] This implementation method improves the safety of transferring items of the abnormal handling robot by transferring the target item of the abnormal handling robot to the designated handling robot at the abnormal replacement point in response to determining that the target item of the abnormal handling robot is at the abnormal replacement point based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task.
[0053] In some optional methods, the abnormal replacement point is an idle area determined according to the route map and heat map of the machine area.
[0054] In this implementation, the abnormal replacement point can be determined based on the route map and heat map of the machine area.
[0055] Specifically, the execution entity may set the corner where no transport robot passes and where the heat intensity is the lowest as the abnormal replacement point.
[0056] This implementation improves the effectiveness of the determined abnormal replacement points by setting the abnormal replacement points as idle areas determined according to the route map and heat map of the machine area.
[0057] In some optional methods, based on a designated handling robot and a replacement task, at an abnormal replacement point, a target item of the abnormal handling robot is transferred to a designated handling robot, including: controlling the designated handling robot to move to the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point, and moving the fork to the storage location where the item is placed; obtaining the identifier of the current item placed at the storage location, and matching the identifier of the current item with the identifier of the target item of the replacement task; in response to a successful match, transferring the current item to a corresponding position of the designated handling robot; in response to completion of the transfer of the current item, controlling the fork to return to the storage location where the item is placed to transfer the next item.
[0058] In this implementation, the execution entity may first control the designated transport robot to move to the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point, and move the fork to the storage location where the items are placed.
[0059] Here, the executing entity can control the designated transport robot to move the fork to the storage location where the items are placed according to the pre-set height and angle of the storage location where the items are placed; or it can control the designated transport robot to scan the storage location code of the storage location where the items are placed, and control the fork to move to the storage location where the items are placed based on the position indicated by the storage location code. This application does not limit this.
[0060] Furthermore, the execution entity may control the designated transport robot to scan the identification code of the current object to determine the identification of the current object, and match the identification of the current object with the identification of the target object of the replacement task.
[0061] In response to a successful match, the current item is transferred to the corresponding position of the designated handling robot according to the position corresponding to the identifier of the target item in the replacement task; in response to the completion of the transfer of the current item, the fork is controlled to return to the storage position where the item is placed to transfer the next item, until all the target items are transferred. Here, after the fork is controlled to return to the storage position where the item is placed, a timed identification or detection device, such as a scanning device, a sensor device, etc., can be used to detect whether a new item appears in the storage position. In response to detecting a new item and the identifier of the new item matches the identifier of the target item in the update task, the new item is transferred to the designated handling robot.
[0062] The implementation method controls a designated transport robot to move to an abnormal replacement shelf at an abnormal replacement point, and moves a fork to a storage location where items are placed; obtains an identifier of a current item placed at the storage location, and matches the identifier of the current item with an identifier of a target item of the replacement task; in response to a successful match, transfers the current item to a corresponding position of the designated transport robot; in response to completion of the transfer of the current item, controls the fork to return to the storage location where the item is placed to transfer the next item, thereby realizing the transfer of items placed one by one at the storage locations of the abnormal replacement shelf by the designated transport robot.
[0063] In some optional methods, in response to the completion of the transfer of the current item, the fork is controlled to return to the storage position where the item is placed to transfer the next item, including: in response to the completion of the transfer of the current item and receiving an instruction that the next item has been placed, the fork is controlled to return to the storage position where the item is placed to transfer the next item.
[0064] In this implementation, in response to determining that the transfer of the current item is complete, the execution entity can detect in real time or periodically the instruction that the next item has been placed, and in response to receiving the instruction that the next item has been placed, control the fork to return to the storage position where the item was placed to transfer the next item.
[0065] Among them, the instruction that the next item has been placed can be an instruction manually input after the next item is placed in the storage location; it can also be an instruction sent by the control device of abnormal shelf replacement in response to detecting that a new item is placed in the storage location. This application is not limited to this.
[0066] This implementation improves the timeliness and effectiveness of the item transfer by controlling the fork to return to the storage position where the item was placed to transfer the next item in response to the completion of the transfer of the current item and the receipt of an instruction that the next item has been placed.
[0067] In some optional methods, based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task, at the abnormal replacement point, the target item of the abnormal handling robot is transferred to the designated handling robot, including: obtaining the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point; determining the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf based on the replacement task and the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf; controlling the target handling robot to transfer the target item to the corresponding position of the designated handling robot via the fork according to the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf.
[0068] In this implementation, if the target object of the abnormal handling robot is at the abnormal replacement point, the designated handling robot is controlled to run to the abnormal replacement point.
[0069] Furthermore, the executing entity may obtain the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf of the abnormal replacement point in advance through the collection device, and then determine the position of the target item in the abnormal replacement shelf based on the replacement task and the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf, and according to the position of the target item in the abnormal replacement shelf, control the designated transport robot to move to the corresponding position in sequence, and control the fork to transfer the target item at the corresponding position to the position in the designated transport robot corresponding to the item identification in the replacement task.
[0070] Here, the execution entity may use image acquisition equipment and / or scanning equipment (for example, BCR (Bar Code Reader, bar code reader) etc.) in existing technology or future development technology to pre-acquire the identification and location of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf of the abnormal replacement point.
[0071] The implementation method obtains the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf of the abnormal replacement point; determines the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf based on the replacement task and the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf; controls the index handling robot to transfer the target item to the corresponding position of the designated handling robot via the fork according to the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf, thereby avoiding the designated handling robot from identifying and obtaining the identification of the items at the abnormal replacement point one by one, and can directly determine the identification and position of the target item based on the identification and position of each item in the abnormal replacement point obtained in advance, thereby effectively improving the efficiency of transferring the target item of the abnormal handling robot to the designated handling robot.
[0072] In some optional embodiments, the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point is the same as the position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse.
[0073] In this implementation, since the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point is the same as the position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse, that is, the placement position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf replicates the position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse, the execution subject can directly control the designated handling robots to move to the corresponding positions in sequence according to the placement position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse, and control the fork to transfer the target item at the corresponding position to the designated handling robot.
[0074] This implementation method avoids the collection and identification of the placement position of the item by setting the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point to be the same as the position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse. The target item can be directly transferred based on the placement position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse, further improving the efficiency of item transfer.
[0075] In some optional embodiments, the designated transport robot is determined in the following manner: in response to determining that there is an idle transport robot whose distance from the abnormal change point meets a first preset condition, the idle transport robot is determined as the designated transport robot; in response to determining that there does not exist a transport robot that will complete the corresponding transport task within a future preset time period and whose distance from the abnormal change point meets a second preset condition is determined as the designated transport robot.
[0076] In this implementation, the executing entity may first determine whether there is an idle transport robot whose distance from the abnormal replacement point meets the first preset condition. If so, the idle transport robot that meets the first preset condition will be determined as the designated transport robot. If not, the transport robot that will complete the corresponding transport task within a future preset time period and whose distance from the abnormal replacement point meets the second preset condition will be determined as the designated transport robot.
[0077] Among them, the preset time period can be set according to experience and actual needs, for example, 10 minutes, 5 minutes, etc.
[0078] Here, the first preset condition and the second preset condition may be the same or different, and this application does not limit this. The first preset condition and the second preset condition may be set according to experience and actual needs, for example, the closest distance among all idle transport robots, the distance is less than or equal to 50 meters, the distance is less than or equal to 30 meters, etc.
[0079] This implementation method determines the idle transport robot as the designated transport robot in response to determining the existence of an idle transport robot whose distance from the abnormal replacement point meets the first preset condition; in response to determining that there is no idle transport robot, a transport robot that will complete the corresponding transport task within a future preset time period and whose distance from the abnormal replacement point meets the second preset condition is determined as the designated transport robot, which helps to determine the designated transport robot in a timely and effective manner, thereby effectively improving the item transfer efficiency of the abnormal transport robot and avoiding wave orders.
[0080] In some optional methods, based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task, at the abnormal replacement point, the target items of the abnormal transport robot are transferred to the designated transport robot, including: based on the replacement task, at the abnormal replacement point, controlling the designated transport robot to preferentially transfer the items in the backpack to the backpack of the designated transport robot; in response to determining that the transfer of the items in the backpack is complete, controlling the designated transport robot to transfer the items in the fork to the fork of the designated robot.
[0081] In this implementation, the target items include items in the backpack and items in the fork. The execution subject can control the designated transport robot to transfer the items in the backpack of the abnormal transport robot to the backpack of the designated transport robot according to the replacement task; in response to determining that the transfer of the items in the backpack of the abnormal transport robot is completed, control the designated transport robot to transfer the items in the fork of the abnormal transport robot to the fork of the designated robot.
[0082] Specifically, after an abnormality occurs in the abnormal handling robot and a replacement request is reported, the target item of the abnormal handling robot can be transferred to the abnormal replacement point, and the execution body can control the designated handling robot to run to the abnormal replacement point. In response to determining that the designated handling robot has arrived at the abnormal replacement point, the designated handling robot can be controlled to obtain the identifier of the current item on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point, and match the identifier with the identifier in the replacement task. In response to a successful match, the position corresponding to the current item in the abnormal handling robot is further determined. If the position corresponding to the current item is the second layer of the backpack, the current item is transferred to the corresponding position of the backpack of the designated handling robot through the fork of the designated handling robot, that is, the second layer of the backpack of the designated handling robot. If the position corresponding to the current item is the fork, continue to scan the next item. In response to determining that the transfer of items in the backpack of the abnormal handling robot is completed, the designated handling robot is controlled to transfer the items in the fork of the abnormal handling robot to the fork of the designated robot.
[0083] This implementation method controls the designated transport robot to transfer the items in the backpack to the backpack of the designated transport robot on an abnormal replacement point based on the replacement task; in response to determining that the transfer of the items in the backpack is complete, the designated transport robot is controlled to transfer the items in the fork to the fork of the designated robot, i.e., the items in the backpack are transferred first, and then the items on the fork are transferred, thereby avoiding the situation where the designated robot cannot control the fork to transfer the items in the backpack after transferring the items on the fork first, thereby improving the rationality and effectiveness of the item transfer.
[0084] Step 203 , in response to determining that the transfer is completed, controlling the transferred designated transport robot to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot, and taking the transferred abnormal transport robot offline.
[0085] In this embodiment, the execution entity can monitor in real time or periodically whether the transfer of the target item is completed. In response to determining that the transfer is completed, it controls the designated transfer robot after the transfer to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transfer robot, and takes the abnormal transfer robot offline.
[0086] Here, the completion of the transfer is determined in the following manner: the placement of the target item in the designated handling robot is the same as that of the abnormal handling robot, that is, the identification of each item indicated by the target item and the corresponding position in the abnormal handling robot are the same as the identification of each item indicated by the target item after the transfer and the corresponding position in the designated handling robot.
[0087] Specifically, the target items include item 1 and item 2. Item 1 is on the first layer of the backpack of the abnormal handling robot, and item 2 is on the second layer of the backpack of the abnormal handling robot. After the transfer is completed, item 1 is placed on the first layer of the backpack of the designated handling robot, and item 2 is placed on the second layer of the backpack of the designated handling robot.
[0088] Continue to see Figure 3 , Figure 3 It is a schematic diagram of an application scenario of the control method based on the transfer robot according to this embodiment.
[0089] exist Figure 3 In the application scenario, there are multiple handling robots running in the machine area to carry items on the shelves. The handling robots are equipped with forks and backpacks. The backpacks are used to temporarily store items, and the forks are used to pick and place items, and can realize the transfer of items between the shelves and the backpacks. If an abnormality occurs in the handling process of the handling robot, a replacement request may be sent. In response to receiving the replacement request of the abnormal handling robot 302, the execution body 301 determines the designated handling robot 303 and issues a replacement task to the designated handling robot 303, wherein the replacement task includes: the identification of the target item placed on the above-mentioned abnormal handling robot 302 and the position of the target item on the abnormal handling robot (for example, the target items include item M and item N, item M is placed on the second layer of the backpack, and item N is placed on the third layer of the backpack); based on the designated handling robot 303 and the replacement task, the target item of the abnormal handling robot 302 is transferred to the designated handling robot 303; in response to determining that the transfer is completed, the designated handling robot 303 after the transfer is controlled to continue to execute the remaining tasks of the abnormal handling robot 302, and the abnormal handling robot 302 after the transfer is offline, wherein the completion of the transfer is determined in the following manner: the placement of the target item in the designated handling robot is the same as the placement of the target item in the abnormal handling robot, that is, item M is on the second layer of the backpack of the designated handling robot, and item N is on the third layer of the backpack.
[0090] The control method based on the handling robot disclosed in the present invention determines the designated handling robot and issues a replacement task to the designated handling robot in response to receiving a replacement request of the abnormal handling robot; based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task, the target item of the abnormal handling robot is transferred to the designated handling robot; in response to determining that the transfer is completed, the designated handling robot after the transfer is controlled to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal handling robot, and the abnormal handling robot after the transfer is taken offline, thereby effectively improving the accuracy and reliability of the object transfer of the abnormal handling robot.
[0091] Further references Figure 4 As an implementation of the methods shown in the above figures, the present application provides an embodiment of a control device based on a handling robot, and the device embodiment is similar to Figure 2a Corresponding to the method embodiment shown, the device can be specifically applied to various electronic devices.
[0092] like Figure 4As shown, the control device 400 based on the transport robot of this embodiment includes: a receiving module 401 , a transfer module 402 , and an execution module 403 .
[0093] The receiving module 401 may be configured to determine a designated transport robot and issue a replacement task to the designated transport robot in response to receiving a replacement request for an abnormal transport robot.
[0094] The transfer module 402 may be configured to transfer the target object of the abnormal transfer robot to the designated transfer robot based on the designated transfer robot and the replacement task.
[0095] The execution module 403 may be configured to, in response to determining that the transfer is completed, control the designated transport robot after the transfer to continue to execute the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot.
[0096] In some optional embodiments of this embodiment, the transfer module is further configured to transfer the target object of the abnormal handling robot to the designated handling robot at the abnormal replacement point in response to determining that the target object of the abnormal handling robot is at the abnormal replacement point based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task.
[0097] In some optional embodiments of this embodiment, the transfer module is further configured to control the designated transport robot to move to the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point, and move the fork to the storage location where the items are placed; obtain the identifier of the current item placed at the storage location, and match the identifier of the current item with the identifier of the target item of the replacement task; in response to a successful match, transfer the current item to the corresponding position of the designated transport robot; in response to the completion of the transfer of the current item, control the fork to return to the storage location where the item is placed to transfer the next item.
[0098] In some optional aspects of this embodiment, the transfer module is further configured to control the fork to return to the storage position where the object was placed to transfer the next object in response to completion of the transfer of the current object and receipt of an instruction that the next object has been placed.
[0099] In some optional embodiments of the present embodiment, the transfer module is further configured to obtain the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf of the abnormal replacement point; determine the position of the target item in the abnormal replacement shelf based on the replacement task and the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf; control the index handling robot to transfer the target item to the corresponding position of the designated handling robot via the fork according to the position of the target item in the abnormal replacement shelf.
[0100] In some optional aspects of this embodiment, the position of the target item on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point is the same as the position of the target item on the shelf in the warehouse.
[0101] In some optional modes of this embodiment, the transfer module is further configured to, based on the replacement task, at an abnormal replacement point, control the designated transport robot to preferentially transfer the items in the backpack to the backpack of the designated transport robot; in response to determining that the transfer of the items in the backpack is completed, control the designated transport robot to transfer the items in the fork to the fork of the designated robot.
[0102] In some optional methods of the present embodiment, the designated transport robot is determined in the following manner: in response to determining that there is an idle transport robot whose distance from the abnormal change point meets a first preset condition, the idle transport robot is determined as the designated transport robot; in response to determining that there does not exist a transport robot that will complete the corresponding transport task within a future preset time period and whose distance from the abnormal change point meets a second preset condition is determined as the designated transport robot.
[0103] In some optional methods of this embodiment, the abnormal replacement point is an idle area determined according to the route map and heat map of the machine area.
[0104] Further references Figure 5 As an implementation of the methods shown in the above figures, the present disclosure provides an embodiment of a material handling system.
[0105] like Figure 5 As shown, the material handling system 500 of this embodiment includes: a shelf 501, handling robots 502, 503 and an abnormal replacement shelf 504.
[0106] The transport robots 502 and 503 are used to transport items on the shelf 501 , and the transport robots 502 and 503 include abnormal transport robots and designated transport robots.
[0107] The abnormal replacement shelf 504 is used to temporarily store the target items of the abnormal handling robot.
[0108] The designated transport robot is used to transfer the target item temporarily stored in the abnormal replacement shelf. After the transfer is completed, the placement of the target item on the designated transport robot is the same as the placement of the target item on the abnormal transport robot.
[0109] Here, robots, such as abnormal handling robot 503 and designated handling robot 504, can be mechanical electronic devices with computing and execution capabilities, or a combination of terminal devices with control capabilities and mechanical mechanisms. For example, handling robots can include but are not limited to automated guided vehicles (AGVs).
[0110] According to an embodiment of the present application, the present application also provides an electronic device and a readable storage medium.
[0111] like Figure 6 , is a block diagram of an electronic device based on a control method for a transport robot according to an embodiment of the present application.
[0112] 600 is a block diagram of an electronic device according to a control method based on a handling robot according to an embodiment of the present application. The electronic device is intended to represent various forms of digital computers, such as laptop computers, desktop computers, workbenches, personal digital assistants, servers, blade servers, mainframe computers, and other suitable computers. The electronic device can also represent various forms of mobile devices, such as personal digital processing, cellular phones, smart phones, wearable devices, and other similar computing devices. The components shown herein, their connections and relationships, and their functions are merely examples, and are not intended to limit the implementation of the present application described herein and / or required.
[0113] like Figure 6 As shown, the electronic device includes: one or more processors 601, a memory 602, and interfaces for connecting various components, including high-speed interfaces and low-speed interfaces. The various components are interconnected using different buses and can be installed on a common mainboard or installed in other ways as needed. The processor can process instructions executed in the electronic device, including instructions stored in or on the memory to display the graphical information of the GUI on an external input / output device (such as a display device coupled to the interface). In other embodiments, if necessary, multiple processors and / or multiple buses can be used together with multiple memories and multiple memories. Similarly, multiple electronic devices can be connected, and each device provides some necessary operations (for example, as a server array, a group of blade servers, or a multi-processor system). Figure 6 A processor 601 is taken as an example.
[0114] The memory 602 is a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium provided in the present application. The memory stores instructions executable by at least one processor to enable the at least one processor to execute the control method based on the handling robot provided in the present application. The non-transitory computer-readable storage medium of the present application stores computer instructions, which are used to enable a computer to execute the control method based on the handling robot provided in the present application.
[0115] The memory 602 is a non-transient computer-readable storage medium that can be used to store non-transient software programs, non-transient computer executable programs and modules, such as program instructions / modules corresponding to the control method based on the transfer robot in the embodiment of the present application (for example, the attached Figure 4The processor 601 executes various functional applications and data processing of the server by running the non-transient software programs, instructions and modules stored in the memory 602, that is, the control method based on the transfer robot in the above method embodiment is realized.
[0116] The memory 602 may include a program storage area and a data storage area, wherein the program storage area may store an operating system, an application required for at least one function; the data storage area may store data created by the use of an electronic device based on the control of the handling robot, etc. In addition, the memory 602 may include a high-speed random access memory, and may also include a non-transient memory, such as at least one disk storage device, a flash memory device, or other non-transient solid-state storage device. In some embodiments, the memory 602 may optionally include a memory remotely arranged relative to the processor 601, and these remote memories may be connected to the electronic device based on the control of the handling robot via a network. Examples of the above-mentioned network include, but are not limited to, the Internet, an intranet, a local area network, a mobile communication network, and combinations thereof.
[0117] The electronic device based on the control method of the handling robot may further include: an input device 603 and an output device 604. The processor 601, the memory 602, the input device 603 and the output device 604 may be connected via a bus or other means. Figure 6 The example of connecting through bus is taken in the following.
[0118] The input device 603 can receive input digital or character information, and generate key signal input related to user settings and function control of the electronic device for quality monitoring of the live video stream, such as a touch screen, a keypad, a mouse, a track pad, a touch pad, an indicator rod, one or more mouse buttons, a trackball, a joystick and other input devices. The output device 604 may include a display device, an auxiliary lighting device (e.g., an LED) and a tactile feedback device (e.g., a vibration motor), etc. The display device may include, but is not limited to, a liquid crystal display (LCD), a light emitting diode (LED) display and a plasma display. In some embodiments, the display device may be a touch screen.
[0119] Various implementations of the systems and techniques described herein can be realized in digital electronic circuit systems, integrated circuit systems, dedicated ASICs (application specific integrated circuits), computer hardware, firmware, software, and / or combinations thereof. These various implementations can include: being implemented in one or more computer programs that can be executed and / or interpreted on a programmable system including at least one programmable processor, which can be a special purpose or general purpose programmable processor that can receive data and instructions from a storage system, at least one input device, and at least one output device, and transmit data and instructions to the storage system, the at least one input device, and the at least one output device.
[0120] These computer programs (also referred to as programs, software, software applications, or code) include machine instructions for programmable processors and can be implemented using high-level procedural and / or object-oriented programming languages, and / or assembly / machine languages. As used herein, the terms "machine-readable medium" and "computer-readable medium" refer to any computer program product, device, and / or means (e.g., disk, optical disk, memory, programmable logic device (PLD)) for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor, including a machine-readable medium that receives machine instructions as a machine-readable signal. The term "machine-readable signal" refers to any signal for providing machine instructions and / or data to a programmable processor.
[0121] To provide interaction with a user, the systems and techniques described herein can be implemented on a computer having: a display device (e.g., a CRT (cathode ray tube) or LCD (liquid crystal display) monitor) for displaying information to the user; and a keyboard and pointing device (e.g., a mouse or trackball) through which the user can provide input to the computer. Other types of devices can also be used to provide interaction with the user; for example, the feedback provided to the user can be any form of sensory feedback (e.g., visual feedback, auditory feedback, or tactile feedback); and input from the user can be received in any form (including acoustic input, voice input, or tactile input).
[0122] The systems and techniques described herein may be implemented in a computing system that includes back-end components (e.g., as a data server), or a computing system that includes middleware components (e.g., an application server), or a computing system that includes front-end components (e.g., a user computer with a graphical user interface or a web browser through which a user can interact with implementations of the systems and techniques described herein), or a computing system that includes any combination of such back-end components, middleware components, or front-end components. The components of the system may be interconnected by any form or medium of digital data communication (e.g., a communication network). Examples of communication networks include: a local area network (LAN), a wide area network (WAN), and the Internet.
[0123] A computer system may include clients and servers. Clients and servers are generally remote from each other and usually interact through a communication network. The relationship of client and server is generated by computer programs running on respective computers and having a client-server relationship to each other.
[0124] According to the technical solution of the embodiment of the present application, the timeliness and accuracy of item transfer by abnormal handling robots are effectively improved.
[0125] It should be understood that the various forms of processes shown above can be used to reorder, add or delete steps. For example, the steps recorded in this application can be executed in parallel, sequentially or in different orders, as long as the expected results of the technical solution disclosed in this application can be achieved, and this document is not limited here.
[0126] The above specific implementations do not constitute a limitation on the protection scope of this application. It should be understood by those skilled in the art that various modifications, combinations, sub-combinations and substitutions can be made according to design requirements and other factors. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions and improvements made within the spirit and principles of this application should be included in the protection scope of this application.
Claims
1. A control method based on a handling robot, wherein: The transport robot is equipped with a fork and a backpack, the backpack is used to temporarily store items, the fork is used to pick up and place items, and can realize the transfer of items between the shelf and the backpack, and the method includes: In response to receiving a replacement request of the abnormal handling robot, determining a designated handling robot and issuing a replacement task to the designated handling robot, wherein the replacement task includes: an identification of a target object placed on the abnormal handling robot and a position of the target object on the abnormal handling robot; Based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task, transferring the target object of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot; In response to determining that the transfer is complete, the designated transport robot after the transfer is controlled to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot, wherein the transfer completion is determined in the following manner: the placement of the target object in the designated transport robot is the same as the placement of the target object in the abnormal transport robot.
2. The method according to claim 1, wherein: The step of transferring the target object of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task comprises: In response to determining that the target object of the abnormal handling robot is at the abnormal replacement point, the target object of the abnormal handling robot is transferred to the designated handling robot at the abnormal replacement point based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The method of transferring the target object of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot at the abnormal replacement point based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task includes: Control the designated handling robot to move to the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point, and move the fork to the storage position where the items are placed; Obtaining the identifier of the current item placed in the storage location, and matching the identifier of the current item with the identifier of the target item of the replacement task; In response to successful matching, the current item is transferred to a corresponding position of the designated handling robot; In response to the completion of the transfer of the current item, the fork is controlled to return to the storage position where the item was placed to transfer the next item.
4. The method according to claim 3, wherein: In response to the completion of the transfer of the current object, controlling the fork to return to the storage position where the object is placed to transfer the next object includes: In response to the completion of the transfer of the current object and receiving an instruction that the next object has been placed, the fork is controlled to return to the storage position where the object was placed to transfer the next object.
5. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The method of transferring the target object of the abnormal handling robot to the designated handling robot at the abnormal replacement point based on the designated handling robot and the replacement task includes: Obtain the location and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point; Based on the replacement task and the position and identification of each item in the abnormal replacement shelf, determining the position of the target item in the abnormal replacement shelf; The control indicator handling robot is based on the position of the target item in the abnormal replacement shelf, and the target item is transferred to the corresponding position of the designated handling robot via the fork.
6. The method according to claim 5, wherein: The position of the target object on the abnormal replacement shelf at the abnormal replacement point is the same as the position of the target object on the shelf in the warehouse.
7. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The target items include items in the backpack and items in the fork, and the method of transferring the target items of the abnormal transport robot to the designated transport robot at the abnormal replacement point based on the designated transport robot and the replacement task includes: Based on the replacement task, at the abnormal replacement point, controlling the designated transport robot to preferentially transfer the items in the backpack to the backpack of the designated transport robot; In response to determining that the transfer of the items in the backpack is completed, the designated transport robot is controlled to transfer the items in the fork to the fork of the designated robot.
8. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The designated handling robot is determined by: In response to determining that there is an idle transport robot whose distance from the abnormal replacement point meets a first preset condition, determining the idle transport robot as a designated transport robot; In response to determining that there is no such a transfer robot, a transfer robot that completes the corresponding transfer task within a future preset time period and whose distance from the abnormal replacement point meets a second preset condition is determined as the designated transfer robot.
9. The method according to claim 2, wherein: The abnormal replacement point is an idle area determined according to the route map and heat map of the machine area.
10. A control device based on a handling robot, wherein: The transport robot is equipped with a fork and a backpack, the backpack is used to temporarily store items, the fork is used to pick up and place items, and can realize the transfer of items between the shelf and the backpack, and the device includes: A receiving module is configured to, in response to receiving a replacement request of an abnormal handling robot, determine a designated handling robot and issue a replacement task to the designated handling robot, wherein the replacement task includes: an identification of a target object placed on the abnormal handling robot and a position of the target object on the abnormal handling robot; a transfer module configured to transfer the target object of the abnormal transfer robot to the designated transfer robot based on the designated transfer robot and the replacement task; The execution module is configured to control the designated transport robot after the transfer to continue to perform the remaining tasks of the abnormal transport robot in response to determining that the transfer is completed, wherein the completion of the transfer is determined in the following manner: the placement of the target object in the designated transport robot is the same as the placement of the target object in the abnormal transport robot.
11. A material handling system comprising: Shelves, handling robots and abnormal replacement shelves; The transport robot is used to transport items on the shelf, and the transport robot includes an abnormal transport robot and a designated transport robot; The abnormal replacement shelf is used to temporarily store target items of the abnormal handling robot; The designated transport robot is used to transfer the target items temporarily stored in the abnormal replacement shelf. After the transfer is completed, the placement of the target items on the designated transport robot is the same as the placement of the target items on the abnormal transport robot.
12. An electronic device, characterized in that: include: at least one processor; as well as a memory communicatively connected to the at least one processor; wherein, The memory stores instructions executable by the at least one processor so that the at least one processor can perform the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.
13. A non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, characterized in that: The computer instructions are used to cause the computer to execute the method according to any one of claims 1 to 9.