A picking robot and a control method thereof

Abstract

This invention relates to a picking robot and its control method, comprising a chassis with wheel assemblies at its bottom; a gantry mounted on the chassis; a scooping frame disposed on the gantry, on which at least two cargo box hooking devices are provided; the cargo boxes on the cargo box hooking devices include a first cargo box and a second cargo box, the first cargo box being used to store materials to be sorted, and the second cargo box being used to store sorted materials; a robotic arm disposed on the gantry, rising and falling synchronously with the scooping frame, the robotic arm's end effector having a picking mechanism for picking up materials; a robotic arm lifting mechanism driving the robotic arm to rise and fall independently of the scooping frame along the gantry; a material identification device for identifying the position of materials within the cargo boxes; and a controller for controlling the robotic arm's movements based on information returned by the material identification device to move the target material from the first cargo box to the second cargo box. In this solution, the material identification device and the controller work together to achieve fully automated positioning and grasping, significantly reducing the need for manual intervention throughout the sorting process.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of intelligent warehousing technology, and in particular to a picking robot and its control method. Background Technology

[0002] Currently, in intelligent warehousing systems, there are bin storage robots (CTUs) that can carry multiple bins at once and dock with automated warehouses for storage or retrieval as needed; however, bin storage can only process entire bins and cannot pick individual parts from within the bins.

[0003] Materials are stored in bins, which are then stored in an automated storage and retrieval system (AS / RS). The storage of bins in the AS / RS is traceable. In practice, a single bin can store the same type of material, or it can store different types of materials. Material sorting is required at the following stages: 1. If one or more specified materials are stored in a bin, the specified materials need to be stored in the bin to be received before warehousing; 2. When dispensing materials according to orders, the specified materials need to be retrieved from several bins stored in the AS / RS. However, currently, material sorting mainly relies on manual sorting, which is inefficient. There are also solutions that use conveyor belts and robotic arms for automated sorting, but these solutions require centralized sorting stations, occupying a large space and offering poor sorting flexibility. Summary of the Invention

[0004] To address the aforementioned problems, the present invention aims to provide a picking robot and its control method.

[0005] A picking robot, comprising,

[0006] The chassis has wheel assemblies at its bottom;

[0007] The gantry is mounted on the chassis.

[0008] A sorting rack is installed on the gantry, and the sorting rack is equipped with at least two box hooking devices. The box hooking devices are used to load boxes onto the sorting rack or unload boxes from the sorting rack. The boxes on the box hooking devices include a first box and a second box. The first box is used to store materials to be sorted, and the second box is used to store sorted materials.

[0009] A robotic arm is mounted on a gantry and rises and falls synchronously with the sliding frame. The end of the robotic arm is equipped with a picking mechanism for picking up materials. The picking mechanism is located above the cargo box hooking device and is driven by the robotic arm to carry materials between cargo boxes on at least two cargo box hooking devices.

[0010] A robotic arm lifting mechanism drives the robotic arm to move up and down along the gantry independently of the scaffolding;

[0011] Material identification device, used to identify the location of materials inside the cargo container;

[0012] The controller is used to control the robotic arm's movements based on information returned by the material identification device to move the target material from the first cargo box to the second cargo box.

[0013] With the above configuration, the picking robot can move flexibly through the wheel assembly of its chassis, allowing it to shuttle freely within the warehouse without the need for fixed sorting stations. The synchronous lifting of the gantry support frame and the robotic arm ensures that mechanical interference is avoided when storing and retrieving boxes of different heights. Multiple box-picking devices can hold at least one empty box and one full box containing the target material, enabling the sorting of materials from full boxes to empty boxes. The box-picking devices can also automatically load and unload boxes. The independent control of the robotic arm lifting mechanism allows for precise height adjustment, working in conjunction with the picking mechanism to transfer materials between boxes. The material identification device and the controller work together to achieve fully automatic positioning and grasping, significantly reducing the need for manual intervention in the entire sorting process.

[0014] Preferably, it includes a slewing mechanism and a tilting mechanism, which are connected to the frame and used to adjust the angle at which the cargo box hooking device on the frame engages with the cargo box.

[0015] By adjusting the docking angle of the cargo box hooking device through the slewing and tilting mechanisms, the robot can adapt to the posture of the cargo boxes in different storage locations (such as tilted or rotated states), thereby improving compatibility and operational reliability in complex warehousing environments.

[0016] Preferably, the frame includes a fixed base frame, a mounting base, and a diagonal brace;

[0017] The fixed seat frame is installed on the gantry.

[0018] The cargo box hook device is mounted on the mounting base.

[0019] The mounting base is supported by a diagonal brace bracket, which is disposed between the fixed frame and the mounting base.

[0020] One end of the diagonal brace is hinged to the fixed frame to form a first rotation center, and the other end of the diagonal brace is driven by the tilting mechanism to rotate and rise around the first rotation center.

[0021] The rotary mechanism is located between the fixed frame and the mounting base.

[0022] The fixed frame and the mounting base are connected by a diagonal brace. The diagonal brace is driven to rotate around the first rotation center by the tilting mechanism, so as to realize the height and angle adjustment of the cargo box hooking device. The rotary mechanism directly drives the mounting base to rotate. The overall mechanical structure is compact and highly stable.

[0023] Preferably, the tilting mechanism includes a first drive mechanism and a linkage assembly. The upper end of the linkage assembly is connected to the diagonal brace, and the lower end is connected to the fixed frame. The first drive mechanism drives the overall height of the linkage assembly to change. The tilting mechanism uses the first drive mechanism and the linkage assembly to work together to drive the diagonal brace to rise and fall. Through the transmission advantages of the mechanical linkage, high-precision angle adjustment is achieved, the motor load pressure is reduced, and the service life of the equipment is extended.

[0024] Preferably, the rotary mechanism includes a second drive mechanism and a rotary gear. The second drive mechanism meshes with the rotary gear via a transmission gear, driving the rotary gear to rotate and adjust the mounting base. The rotary mechanism drives the mounting base to rotate through the meshing transmission of the second drive mechanism and the rotary gear. Its gear meshing design ensures that the rotation angle is controllable and there is no cumulative error, making it suitable for scenarios requiring precise alignment (such as the storage and retrieval of bins in a high-level automated warehouse).

[0025] Preferably, the gantry is a multi-level, overlapping gantry. The robotic arm, sizing rack, and robotic arm lifting mechanism are mounted on the first-level gantry, which is a single-level gantry capable of moving within its maximum travel range. The multi-level, overlapping gantry design allows the robot to cover a larger vertical storage space. The first-level gantry's movement within its maximum travel further expands the working range of the robotic arm and sizing rack, adapting to ultra-high-density storage requirements. The robotic arm, sizing rack, and robotic arm lifting mechanism are mounted on the first-level gantry, driving the robotic arm and sizing rack to move synchronously. Furthermore, the robotic arm can move independently of the sizing rack, resulting in a simple structure.

[0026] Preferably, the material identification device includes depth cameras positioned on both sides of the robotic arm head. These depth cameras are used to identify one or more of the following: the robotic arm's operating position, the gripping state of the picking mechanism, and the position of parts within the bin. The position of the robotic arm head is relatively fixed. The placement of depth cameras at the robotic arm head, and the presence of depth cameras on both sides of the robotic arm head, ensures a wide field of view, covering the robotic arm's operating range. The depth cameras identify the robotic arm's position, gripping state, and the position of parts within the bin using three-dimensional spatial data. Combined with real-time path correction by the controller, this significantly improves sorting accuracy.

[0027] Preferably, the robotic arm has multiple rotatable joints, which drive the end effector to grasp the target material within a spherical range. This allows it to grasp material at any location within the cargo container, reducing blind spots and enhancing sorting coverage.

[0028] Preferably, a barcode reader is included to scan the coded information on the cargo box to locate and identify the cargo box information. After retrieving the storage location of the target cargo box through the warehousing system, the barcode reader is used to further identify and locate the cargo box at that storage location to verify the accuracy of the cargo box information.

[0029] This application also provides a control method for a picking robot, including a picking robot as described in any of the preceding claims, the method comprising the steps of:

[0030] Place a second container at at least one container hook device;

[0031] Control the picking robot to move to the designated location and retrieve the first designated cargo box using the cargo box hooking device;

[0032] The designated material in the first cargo box is identified by the material identification device, and the robotic arm is controlled to pick up the designated material from the first cargo box and place it into the second cargo box based on the feedback information from the material identification device.

[0033] After the first box is picked, the picking robot controls the storage position of the first box, and the box hooking device moves the first box to the storage position.

[0034] The above control method achieves fully automated sorting by coordinating robot movement, cargo box retrieval, material identification and transfer in steps. It can enable the robot to retrieve the entire frame of goods using the cargo box hook device on one side, and then the robotic arm to grab parts as needed and place them in another cargo box before returning the entire frame of goods to the shelf, thus repeating the picking process. Attached Figure Description

[0035] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of this application;

[0036] Figure 2 for Figure 1 Structural diagram of the concealed cargo box;

[0037] Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the frame structure;

[0038] Figure 4 for Figure 3 Another structural diagram;

[0039] Figure 5 A structural diagram showing the structure after the fixed frame is hidden from the framing.

[0040] Figure 6 This is a schematic diagram of the robotic arm in this application;

[0041] Figure 7 This is a schematic diagram of the cargo box hooking device.

[0042] Figure 8 This is a schematic diagram of the base structure;

[0043] Figure 9 for Figure 7 A structural diagram from another angle;

[0044] Figure 10 for Figure 7 A structural diagram from another angle;

[0045] Figure 11 for Figure 7 Enlarged view of point A in the middle;

[0046] Figure 12 A schematic diagram of the wheel assembly installation.

[0047] Figure label:

[0048] Chassis 1, Drive wheels 11, Floating mounting plate 112, Casters 12, Cable tray 13

[0049] Gantry 2, First-level gantry 21,

[0050] The components include: frame 3, fixed seat frame 31, connecting part 311, mounting base 32, diagonal brace bracket 33, diagonal brace mechanism 34, first drive mechanism 341, connecting rod assembly 342, rotation mechanism 35, and second drive mechanism 351.

[0051] Cargo box hooking device 4, base 41, side panel 411, sliding telescopic device 42, first-stage slide rail 421, buffer block 422, second-stage slide rail 422, first transverse connecting seat 4221, second transverse connecting seat 4222, third-stage slide rail 423, rack 4231, first synchronous belt 4242, second synchronous belt 4243, hooking device 43, hook claw 431, lifting bracket 434, moving seat 435.

[0052] Robotic arm 5, head 51, rotating joints 5.1-5.6, picking mechanism 52,

[0053] 6. Robotic arm lifting mechanism. Detailed Implementation

[0054] The embodiments of the present invention are described in detail below.

[0055] This embodiment provides a picking robot, including:

[0056] Chassis 1, with wheel assemblies at its bottom;

[0057] gantry 2 is mounted on chassis 1;

[0058] A sorting rack 3 is installed on the gantry 2. The sorting rack 3 is equipped with at least two cargo box hooking devices 4. The cargo box hooking devices 4 are used to load cargo boxes onto the sorting rack 3 or unload cargo boxes from the sorting rack 3. The cargo boxes on the cargo box hooking devices 4 include a first cargo box and a second cargo box. The first cargo box is used to store materials to be sorted, and the second cargo box is used to store materials after sorting.

[0059] The robotic arm 5 is mounted on the gantry 2 and rises and falls synchronously with the sliding frame 3. The end of the robotic arm 5 is equipped with a picking mechanism 52 for picking up materials. The picking mechanism 52 is located above the cargo box hooking device 4 and is driven by the robotic arm 5 to carry materials between cargo boxes on at least two cargo box hooking devices 4.

[0060] The robotic arm lifting mechanism 6 drives the robotic arm 5 to rise and fall independently of the frame 3 along the gantry 2;

[0061] Material identification device, used to identify the location of materials inside the cargo container;

[0062] The controller is used to control the movement of the robotic arm 5 based on the information returned by the material identification device to move the target material from the first cargo box to the second cargo box.

[0063] Combination Figure 12 As shown, in this embodiment, the wheel assembly includes a set of drive wheels 11 disposed in the middle of the chassis 1 and two sets of omnidirectional wheels 12 disposed on the front and rear sides of the chassis 1. The drive wheels 11 are floatingly mounted on the chassis 1. In this embodiment, the drive wheels 11 are mounted on a floating mounting plate 112, which is connected to the chassis 1 via a hinge shaft. The floating mounting plate 112 can rotate around the hinge shaft and float up and down relative to the chassis 1. A first compression spring (not shown in the figure) is provided between the floating mounting plate 112 and the chassis 1. The up and down movement of the floating mounting plate 112 causes the first compression spring to extend and retract synchronously. The floating mounting plate 112 is disposed on both sides of the chassis 1, resulting in a compact structure. With the first compression spring configured as described above, when the drive wheels 11 move upward, the floating mounting plate 112 compresses the first compression spring upward; when the drive wheels 11 move downward, the reaction force of the first compression spring presses down on the floating mounting plate 112, thereby effectively absorbing ground impacts.

[0064] Furthermore, at least one set of casters 12 is installed on both sides of the cable tray 13, which is arranged along the width direction of the chassis 1, and the middle of the cable tray 13 is hinged to the chassis 1. Thus, this set of casters 12 can move up and down along the chassis 1 with the cable tray 13, ensuring that at least one set of casters 12 and one set of drive wheels 11 are in contact with the ground during the movement of the chassis 1, thus ensuring the stability of movement.

[0065] The picking robot is driven freely by chassis 1 and includes an autonomous driving system that controls the robot to automatically find its way within the warehouse and drive along a planned path. The autonomous driving system includes one or more 3D sensors, and optionally, one or more proximity sensors. The use of an autonomous driving system for robots is a conventional technique in the field. The picking robot in this embodiment is equipped with an autonomous driving system, enabling it to move freely between different shelves and workstations to retrieve target boxes, in coordination with the intelligent warehousing system.

[0066] like Figure 1and Figure 2 As shown, the gantry 2 is mounted on the chassis 1. In this embodiment, the gantry 2 is a multi-level, overlapping gantry to provide a greater lifting stroke. The structure of the multi-level, overlapping gantry and its lifting control method are conventional techniques in the art and will not be described in detail here. For ease of explanation, the first-level gantry capable of lifting and lowering within the maximum stroke range of the gantry 2 is defined as the first-level gantry 21. Figure 2 As shown, in this embodiment, the robotic arm 5, the gantry 3, and the robotic arm lifting mechanism 6 are mounted on the first-stage gantry 21, thereby enabling the synchronous upgrading of the robotic arm 5 and the gantry 3. Furthermore, the robotic arm 5 can be driven by the robotic arm lifting mechanism 6 to lift and lower independently of the gantry 3. For example, when the gantry 3 needs to be lifted and lowered to load or unload a cargo box, the lifting and moving of the first-stage gantry 21 drives the gantry 3 and the robotic arm 5 to lift and lower synchronously. With this configuration, it is not necessary to separately control the robotic arm 5 to avoid the gantry 3 during the loading and unloading process, making the control method simpler.

[0067] like Figure 3-5 As shown, a rotating mechanism 35 and a tilting mechanism 34 are connected to the sorting frame 3 to adjust the angle at which the cargo box hooking device 4 on the sorting frame 3 engages with the cargo box. Specifically, in this embodiment, the sorting frame 3 includes a fixed frame 31, a mounting base 32, and a diagonal brace 33; the fixed frame 31 is mounted on the gantry 2, and in this embodiment, the fixed frame 31 includes an upwardly extending connecting portion 311, through which it is mounted to the gantry 2. The cargo box hooking device 4 is disposed on the mounting base 32. In this embodiment, the mounting base 32 is provided with at least two cargo box hooking devices 4, and the cargo boxes placed in the cargo box hooking devices 4 include a first cargo box and a second cargo box, wherein the first cargo box refers to the cargo box that stores the target material before sorting, and the second cargo box refers to the cargo box used to place the sorted target material.

[0068] The mounting base 32 is supported by a diagonal brace 33, which is positioned between the fixed frame 31 and the mounting base 32. One end of the diagonal brace 33 is hinged to the fixed frame 31 to form a first rotation center, and the other end of the diagonal brace 33 is driven by the tilting mechanism 34 to rotate and rise around the first rotation center. The rotary mechanism 35 is positioned between the fixed frame 31 and the mounting base 32. Figure 5 As shown, in this embodiment, the diagonal brace 33 is fixed at the lower end of the mounting base 32 and located in the middle of the mounting base 32. The mounting base 32 is connected to the fixed frame 31 through the diagonal brace 33.

[0069] In this embodiment, the tilting mechanism 34 includes a first driving mechanism 341 and a connecting rod assembly 342. The upper end of the connecting rod assembly 342 is connected to the inclined support bracket 33, and the lower end of the connecting rod assembly 342 is connected to the fixed seat frame 31. The first driving mechanism 341 drives the overall height of the connecting rod assembly 342 to change. Figure 5As shown, the linkage assembly 342 in this embodiment includes a first linkage unit and a second linkage unit. The first and second linkage units are H-shaped to improve their support strength. The upper end of the first linkage unit is hinged to the mounting base 32, the lower end of the first linkage unit is hinged to the upper end of the second linkage unit, and the lower end of the second linkage unit is hinged to the fixed frame 31. The first drive mechanism 341 is connected to the middle of the linkage assembly 342, and pushes and pulls the linkage assembly 342 from the middle, thereby changing the overall height of the linkage assembly 342. Since the relative position of the fixed frame 31 is fixed, the tilt angle of the mounting base 32 and its upper cargo box hooking device 4 can be adjusted by the diagonal brace 33 after the overall height of the linkage assembly 342 changes. In a specific embodiment, the first drive mechanism 341 can be an electric push rod or an electric cylinder, whose telescopic end is directly connected to the linkage assembly 342, resulting in a simple transmission structure and high transmission efficiency; the electric push rod or electric cylinder is arranged laterally, resulting in a compact installation structure.

[0070] like Figure 7-11 As shown, the cargo box hooking device 4 in this embodiment includes a base 41; a sliding telescopic device 42 is provided on the base 41, wherein, in the fully extended state, the first-stage slide rail 421 is located at the foremost end in the telescopic direction; the hooking device 43 is slidably connected to the first-stage slide rail 421, and includes a lifting bracket 434, on which a hook 431 is slidably connected, and the hook 431 is driven by the second driving mechanism 33 to move up and down along the lifting bracket 434.

[0071] The base 41 includes a base plate and a surrounding plate 411 arranged circumferentially around the base plate. The base 41 opens to the front, and the surrounding plate 411 is inclined at the opening end towards the direction of widening the opening, facilitating the entry of the cargo box into the base 41. Along the length of the base 41, the width of the surrounding plate 411 and the base 41 narrows at the rear. The wider front portion is used to accommodate the target cargo box, while the narrower rear portion houses the retractable hooking device 43 on the first-stage slide rail 421. A drive motor 241 for driving the extension and retraction of the sliding telescopic device 42 is also installed at the narrower rear portion. This separation of the drive device and the cargo box prevents the cargo box from colliding with the hooking device 43 and the drive motor 241 due to excessive movement. Furthermore, the retractable rear structure reduces the overall volume of the base 41, minimizing its overall space occupation.

[0072] Combination Figure 9 and Figure 10The sliding telescopic device 42 includes a multi-stage slide rail (first-stage slide rail 421, second-stage slide rail 422, and third-stage slide rail 423) arranged along the length of the base 41, and a drive mechanism for driving the multi-stage slide rails to extend and retract relative to the mobile cabinet. In the fully extended state, the first-stage slide rail 421 is located at the foremost point in the extension direction. By adjusting the extension length of the multi-stage slide rails, goods can be retrieved from both deep and shallow storage locations on the shelf. The drive mechanism of the sliding telescopic device 42 includes a drive motor 241 and a synchronous belt assembly (first synchronous belt 4242 and second synchronous belt 4243) connected to the drive motor 241. The synchronous belt drive structure is simple and simplifies control.

[0073] In this embodiment, the multi-stage slide rail includes a first-stage slide rail 421, a second-stage slide rail 422, and a third-stage slide rail 423. The hooking device 43 is slidably mounted on the first-stage slide rail 421. The first-stage slide rail 421 and the second-stage slide rail 422 are connected by a first synchronous belt assembly. The second-stage slide rail 422 and the third-stage slide rail 423 are connected by a second synchronous belt assembly. The second synchronous belt 4243 is driven to rotate by a first drive motor 241, and the second synchronous belt 4243 is linked with the first synchronous belt 4242. In this embodiment, the multi-stage slide rails are nested, resulting in a small overall space occupied after retraction. Furthermore, a positioning sensor is provided to control the maximum extension and retraction position of each stage of the slide rail. The structure and working principle of the positioning sensor are conventional techniques in this field and will not be described in detail here.

[0074] like Figure 11 As shown, the second-stage slide rail 422 includes a first transverse connecting seat 4221 disposed at the rear end of the movement direction and a second transverse connecting seat 4222 disposed at the front end of the movement direction. The first transverse connecting seat 4221 is fixed to the second synchronous belt 4243, and a synchronous pulley on one side of the first synchronous belt 4242 is provided on the first transverse connecting seat 4221. The synchronous pulley on the other side of the first synchronous belt 4242 is mounted on the second transverse connecting seat 4222. The first-stage slide rail 421 is fixed to the first synchronous belt 4242, and the other end of the first synchronous belt 4242 is fixed to the base 41 or the third-stage slide rail 423. In this embodiment, the second synchronous belt 4243 is disposed along the centerline of the third-stage slide rail 423. In the multi-stage slide rail retracted state, a pair of first synchronous belts 4242 are located on both sides of the width direction of the first synchronous belt 4242, avoiding mutual interference between the synchronous belts in the multi-stage slide rail retracted state. Furthermore, a pair of first synchronous belts 4242 are used to connect the first-stage slide rail 421 further forward in the movement direction, making its movement more stable. In this embodiment, the third-level slide rail 423 is fixed on the base 41, and the second-level slide rail 422 and the third-level slide rail 423 can extend forward relative to the third-level slide rail 423, so that the sliding telescopic device 42 can extend forward relative to the base 41 and enter the depth of the shelf storage location.

[0075] In a preferred embodiment, when the multi-stage slide rails are fully extended, they can at least partially conform to the bottom surface of the target box storage location on the shelf. This conformal design disperses the impact force of the box's weight on the slide rails, making their movement more stable when retracting the box.

[0076] The hooking mechanism 43 is slidably connected to the first-stage slide rail 421 via a slider, and can move back and forth along the first-stage slide rail 421. In this embodiment, the hooking device 43 is driven by a driving mechanism to move along the first-stage slide rail 421. The driving mechanism for driving the hooking mechanism 43 to slide along the first-stage slide rail 421 includes a drive motor and a gear and rack assembly. The drive motor and the hooking device 43 are mounted on the same slider, which is slidably connected to the first-stage slide rail 421. The rack 4231 is arranged along the first-stage slide rail 421, and the gear meshes with the rack 4231 and is driven to rotate by the drive motor. The gear and rack transmission has the characteristics of high precision and high rigidity, ensuring the positional accuracy of the hooking mechanism 43 when moving along the first-stage slide rail 421; the gear and rack structure can withstand a large load, is suitable for handling heavy cargo boxes, and has a simple transmission structure.

[0077] After the cargo box, handled by the hook mechanism 43, is moved onto the first-stage slide rail 421, the sliding telescopic device 42 retracts and moves it onto the base 41. In this embodiment, a buffer block 422 is provided at the rear of the first-stage slide rail 421, facing the cargo box. The buffer block 422 can absorb impact energy when the cargo box retracts or there is a positioning error, preventing the cargo box from colliding hard with the slide rail.

[0078] The hooking mechanism 43 includes a lifting bracket 434, on which a hook 431 is slidably connected. The hook 431 is driven by a driving mechanism to move up and down along the lifting bracket 434. In this embodiment, the hook 431 is slidably connected to the lifting bracket 434 via a movable seat 435. The movable seat 435 includes a hook connecting part located on the front side of the lifting bracket 434 and a lifting connecting part located on the upper end of the lifting bracket 434. The hook 431 is installed on the front side of the hook connecting part and is located near the lower end of the lifting bracket 434. When it moves to the side of the target cargo box, the hook 431 can move up and down against the side of the cargo box. Thus, after the foremost hook 431 is close to the target cargo box, it can have a large vertical lifting distance, which is convenient for establishing a connection with cargo boxes of different sizes. The lifting connecting part cooperates with the upper end of the lifting bracket 434 to limit the lower position of the moving seat 435. The drive mechanism is located on the rear side of the lifting bracket 434, and its output end is connected to the lifting connecting part, driving the moving seat 435 to drive the hook 431 to rise and fall. In this embodiment, the hook 431 is L-shaped with its orientation facing upwards. By moving up and down, it can connect or disconnect with the hook part of the cargo box, which is simple in structure.

[0079] The rotary mechanism 35 in this embodiment includes a second drive mechanism 351 and a rotary gear. The second drive mechanism 351 meshes with the rotary gear via a transmission gear, driving the rotary gear to rotate and adjust the mounting base 32. In this embodiment, the rotary gear is located in the middle of the mounting base 32, making the rotation angle of the mounting base 32 easier to control. The second drive mechanism 351 is a rotary motor. In a specific embodiment, the picking mechanism 52 at the end of the robotic arm 5 can be a suction cup, gripper, magnetic suction device, or other structures, which can be selected according to the specific material characteristics.

[0080] The structure of the robotic arm 5 in this embodiment is as follows: Figure 6 As shown, the position of the mechanical head 51 is relatively fixed. In this embodiment, the robotic arm 5 has multiple rotatable joints 5.1-5.6, which drive the end effector to grasp the target material within a spherical range. For example, in this embodiment, the robotic arm 5 has a total of 6 rotatable joints 5.1-5.6, and adjacent joints can rotate relative to each other, so that the robotic arm 5 can grasp materials within a large range.

[0081] The material identification device in this embodiment includes depth cameras positioned on both sides of the robotic arm head 51. These depth cameras are used to identify one or more of the following: the operating position of the robotic arm 5, the gripping state of the picking mechanism 52, and the position of parts within the cargo box. The depth cameras, positioned on both sides of the robotic arm head 51, can be adjusted with the robotic arm 5, allowing their field of view to cover all cargo boxes on the rack 3 without requiring additional camera mounting brackets to move and adjust their fields of view. Using depth cameras on both sides for identification improves the reliability of the identification results. In this solution, the focus is on the placement and method of the depth cameras; the specific implementation of depth cameras in identifying the position and information of objects in three-dimensional space is a conventional technique in this field.

[0082] The control method for the picking robot described above is as follows:

[0083] Includes the following steps:

[0084] Place the second cargo box at at least one cargo box hooking device 4;

[0085] Control the picking robot to move to the designated location and retrieve the designated first cargo box using the cargo box hooking device 4;

[0086] The designated material in the first cargo box is identified by the material identification device, and the robotic arm 5 is controlled to pick up the designated material from the first cargo box and place it into the second cargo box based on the feedback information from the material identification device.

[0087] After the first box is picked, the picking robot controls the storage position of the first box, and the box hooking device 4 moves the first box to the storage position.

[0088] In the above method, before retrieving or unloading the cargo box using the cargo box hooking device 4, the method further includes the following steps: adjusting the height of the cargo box hooking device 4 to one side of the target cargo box storage location, and controlling the robotic arm 5 to rise and fall synchronously. Before loading and unloading goods using the cargo box hooking device 4, the rotation device 35 and the tilting mechanism 34 are controlled to adjust the inlet and outlet positions of the currently operating cargo box hooking device 4 so that it can be aligned with the target cargo box or target storage location, facilitating precise control of loading and unloading the target cargo box.

[0089] Although embodiments of the invention have been shown and described, those skilled in the art will understand that various changes, modifications, substitutions and alterations can be made to these embodiments without departing from the principles and spirit of the invention, the scope of which is defined by the claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A picking robot, characterized in that, include, The chassis has wheel assemblies at its bottom; The gantry is mounted on the chassis. A sorting rack is installed on the gantry, and the sorting rack is equipped with at least two box hooking devices. The box hooking devices are used to load boxes onto the sorting rack or unload boxes from the sorting rack. The boxes on the box hooking devices include a first box and a second box. The first box is used to store materials to be sorted, and the second box is used to store sorted materials. A robotic arm is mounted on a gantry and rises and falls synchronously with the sliding frame. The end of the robotic arm is equipped with a picking mechanism for picking up materials. The picking mechanism is located above the cargo box hooking device and is driven by the robotic arm to carry materials between cargo boxes on at least two cargo box hooking devices. A robotic arm lifting mechanism drives the robotic arm to move up and down along the gantry independently of the scaffolding; Material identification device, used to identify the location of materials inside the cargo container; The controller is used to control the robotic arm's movements based on the information returned by the material identification device to move the target material from the first cargo box to the second cargo box; It also includes a slewing mechanism and a tilting mechanism, which are connected to the frame and used to adjust the angle at which the cargo box hooking device on the frame engages with the cargo box; The frame includes a fixed base frame, a mounting base, and a diagonal brace; The fixed seat frame is installed on the gantry. The cargo box hook device is mounted on the mounting base. The mounting base is supported by a diagonal brace bracket, which is disposed between the fixed frame and the mounting base. One end of the diagonal brace is hinged to the fixed frame to form a first rotation center, and the other end of the diagonal brace is driven by the tilting mechanism to rotate and rise around the first rotation center. The rotary mechanism is disposed between the fixed frame and the mounting base; The tilting mechanism includes a first drive mechanism and a linkage assembly. The upper end of the linkage assembly is connected to the inclined support bracket, and the lower end of the linkage assembly is connected to the fixed frame base. The first drive mechanism drives the overall height of the linkage assembly to change. The rotary mechanism includes a second drive mechanism and a rotary gear. The second drive mechanism meshes with the rotary gear through a transmission gear, driving the rotary gear to rotate and adjust the mounting base.

2. A picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that, The gantry is a multi-level, overlapping gantry. The robotic arm, the sling, and the robotic arm lifting mechanism are mounted on the first-level gantry, which is a single-level gantry capable of moving within the maximum travel range of the gantry.

3. The picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The material identification device includes depth cameras mounted on both sides of the head of the robotic arm. The depth cameras are used to identify one or more of the following: the operating position of the robotic arm, the gripping state of the picking mechanism, and the position of parts inside the cargo box.

4. The picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that The robotic arm has multiple rotatable joints, which drive the end effector to grasp the target material within a spherical range.

5. The picking robot according to claim 1, characterized in that It includes a barcode reader for scanning the coded information on the cargo box to locate the cargo box and identify the cargo box information.

6. A control method of a picking robot, characterized by, Including a picking robot as described in any one of claims 1-5, the method includes the steps of: Place a second container at at least one container hook device; Control the picking robot to move to the designated location and retrieve the first designated cargo box using the cargo box hooking device; The designated material in the first cargo box is identified by the material identification device, and the robotic arm is controlled to pick up the designated material from the first cargo box and place it into the second cargo box based on the feedback information from the material identification device. After the first box is sorted, the sorting robot first box storage position is controlled, and the box hooking device moves the first box to the storage position.

Images