Full-automatic transfer robot

Abstract

The invention discloses a full-automatic transfer robot, and relates to the technical field of industrial robots, and the full-automatic transfer robot comprises a crawler-type chassis which autonomously moves to a designated place according to a work task; and the mechanical arm carries the executing mechanism to change the posture and the position of the specified material. When the system is used, omni-directional and multi-source information fusion perception is achieved, and three-level point cloud information collection and fusion of an operation object, a global environment and a near space are achieved by arranging the material recognition module, the navigation module and the safety protection module which are matched with one another. Multiple groups of visual identification modules rotate along with the mechanical arm, so that the dynamic and accurate identification of the target material is ensured; the navigation module provides global path information for the chassis; the safety protection module realizes 360-degree omni-directional real-time monitoring on the periphery of the vehicle body through the combination of multiple laser radars and a safety protection edge. And multiple modules work cooperatively, so that the sensing ability, the positioning precision and the decision reliability of the robot in a complex environment are remarkably improved.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of industrial robot technology, specifically to a fully automated handling robot. Background Technology

[0002] In the fields of modern industrial automation and logistics handling, automated handling robots have gradually become important equipment in scenarios such as warehousing and logistics, intelligent manufacturing, and assembly workshops due to their advantages such as significantly improving work efficiency, reducing labor costs, and adapting to high-intensity continuous operations. With technological advancements, handling robots are evolving towards full autonomy, multi-functionality, and high adaptability. They not only need to complete simple material transportation tasks but also need to possess complex operational capabilities such as precise material grasping, posture adjustment, spatial transfer, and interactive docking.

[0003] Currently, most material handling robots on the market use wheeled or tracked chassis as their mobile platform and are equipped with robotic arms and other actuators. However, existing equipment still has many shortcomings in terms of system integration, operational flexibility, and environmental adaptability. Specifically: 1. Limited working range: Traditional robotic arms are usually fixedly installed in a certain place on a mobile platform. Their working range is limited by the length of the robotic arm itself and the installation height. It is difficult to cover the full space operation needs from low grabbing to high placement. Especially when it is necessary to dock with conveying equipment at different heights, it is often necessary to repeatedly adjust the position by moving the chassis, which reduces the continuity and efficiency of the operation.

[0004] 2. Limited Visual Recognition Modules: Existing robots are often equipped with separate material sensing modules, such as LiDAR for spatial perception and visual cameras for material recognition. Using these modules in isolation can easily lead to problems such as accumulated positioning errors, inaccurate grasping positions, and untimely dynamic obstacle avoidance. Especially in complex, dynamic, and unstructured environments, the overall perception and decision-making capabilities of the system are limited.

[0005] 3. Insufficient safety in human-machine collaboration: In scenarios requiring human-machine mixed operations, the safety protection of existing equipment mostly relies on simple area isolation or single-point obstacle avoidance, lacking omnidirectional and real-time spatial monitoring and active protection mechanisms for the robot, making it difficult to form a continuous safe working space and posing potential safety risks.

[0006] 4. Low material transfer efficiency: After grabbing materials, robots often need to place them directly in a fixed position or complete the transfer through simple delivery, lacking an efficient and stable intermediate transmission and docking mechanism. When cooperating with external conveying equipment such as telescopic conveyors, precise stopping and alignment are often required, making the process cumbersome and with poor fault tolerance.

[0007] Therefore, we propose a fully automated handling robot to address the problems mentioned in the background section. This fully automated handling robot is highly integrated, has comprehensive perception capabilities, a wide operating range, is safe and reliable, and can seamlessly interface with external conveying equipment. It features a liftable robotic arm platform, a multi-source fusion perception system, omnidirectional safety protection, and efficient material transfer capabilities, thereby achieving fully automated operation from autonomous navigation, precise identification, flexible grasping, high-level handling to stable transmission, meeting the higher requirements of modern smart logistics and flexible manufacturing for intelligent handling equipment. Summary of the Invention

[0008] The purpose of this invention is to provide a fully automated handling robot to solve the problems mentioned in the background art regarding the limited operating range, single visual recognition module, insufficient human-machine collaboration safety, and low material handover efficiency of existing handling robots in the market.

[0009] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: a fully automated handling robot, comprising: Tracked chassis, capable of autonomously moving to designated locations according to work tasks; A robotic arm, equipped with an actuator, changes the posture and position of a specified material; The end effector keeps the material and the end of the robotic arm relatively stationary; Lifting device, which supports the robotic arm and expands its working range; The conveyor module carries and transports the materials grasped by the terminal actuator. The material identification module collects point cloud information of the material and its surroundings for material grabbing and placement. The navigation module collects point cloud information of the entire work space for navigation of the tracked chassis. The safety protection module collects point cloud information around the vehicle body to create a safe working space.

[0010] Preferably, the tracked chassis carries the execution module, control module, and sensing module, and rotates and translates according to the task information to reach the designated work location. The robotic arm is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the lifting device, and its end is connected to the terminal actuator to change the angle and position of the terminal actuator.

[0011] Preferably, the lower end of the lifting device is fixedly installed in the front left position inside the tracked chassis compartment. The lifting device includes a drive motor, a screw jack, a lifting frame base, and a support platform. The drive motor and the screw jack are connected.

[0012] Preferably, the lower end of the screw jack is fixedly installed inside the lifting frame base, and the inner side of the lifting frame base is connected to a bearing platform. The lifting device is used to change the vertical height of the robotic arm and further expand the working range of the robotic arm.

[0013] Preferably, the end effector is connected to the end of the robotic arm to directly contact the work target, maintain the consistency between the work target and the end effector's posture during the work process, and cooperate with the robotic arm to place the work target in the designated position.

[0014] Preferably, the conveying module is fixedly installed on the right side of the upper end of the tracked chassis to carry the material grabbed by the terminal actuator. A telescopic conveyor is provided at the rear end of the conveying module to directly convey the material to the telescopic conveyor.

[0015] Preferably, the material recognition module is fixedly mounted on the robotic arm and rotates with the robotic arm. The material recognition module is used to collect point cloud information of the material and its surroundings. The material recognition module includes a first visual recognition module and a second visual recognition module, which work together to collect information.

[0016] Preferably, the navigation module is installed in the middle and rear of the tracked chassis compartment to collect point cloud information of the overall working space and provide navigation information for the tracked chassis, and the safety protection module is installed around the tracked chassis.

[0017] Preferably, the safety protection module includes a first obstacle avoidance lidar, a second obstacle avoidance lidar, a third obstacle avoidance lidar, and a front safety guard edge, used to collect point cloud information around the vehicle body to form a safe working space and protect the safety of the staff.

[0018] An operational logic method for a fully automated handling robot includes the following steps: S1. First, the navigation module scans the surrounding global environment to determine the location, shape, and size of the target and plans the navigation route. S2. The intelligent navigation system controls the autonomous loading and unloading robot to move to the calculated designated work location; S3. The safety protection module obtains point cloud information of the space near the autonomous loading and unloading robot and confirms whether the autonomous loading and unloading robot has reached the correct working position. At the same time, the safety protection module will build a safety protection space at all times. S4. The material identification module identifies the working target and its surrounding details to determine the grasping method and grasping route; S5. The control terminal actuator grabs the work target, and the robotic arm drives it to place the work target directly above the front end of the conveyor module. S6. The conveyor module transfers the work target to the connected telescopic conveyor.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the beneficial effects of the present invention are: 1. In use, this invention achieves omnidirectional, multi-source information fusion perception: By setting up mutually cooperating material recognition modules, navigation modules, and safety protection modules, it realizes the collection and fusion of three-level point cloud information of the work object, the global environment, and the immediate surrounding space. Multiple sets of visual recognition modules rotate with the robotic arm, ensuring dynamic and accurate identification of target materials; the navigation module provides global path information for the chassis; the safety protection module, through the combination of multiple LiDARs and safety guardrails, achieves 360° omnidirectional real-time monitoring of the vehicle's surroundings. The collaborative work of multiple modules significantly improves the robot's perception capabilities, positioning accuracy, and decision-making reliability in complex environments.

[0020] 2. When using this invention, a continuous and proactive safety protection space is established: By arranging multiple obstacle avoidance lidars and front safety guardrails around the chassis, the system can collect point cloud information around the vehicle in real time, dynamically constructing and maintaining a safe working space. Once a person or obstacle is detected to intrude, it can immediately trigger deceleration or shutdown, realizing an upgrade from passive obstacle avoidance to active space protection, effectively ensuring the safety of human-machine collaborative operations.

[0021] 3. This invention significantly expands the working range: By incorporating a lifting device integrated with the tracked chassis, the overall height of the robotic arm can be adjusted according to task requirements, allowing the robot to cover the entire space from low to high without moving the chassis. This design greatly expands the effective working range of a single positioning, reduces the number of frequent chassis adjustments, and thus improves operational continuity and overall efficiency.

[0022] 4. This invention improves the smoothness and automation of material transfer: By integrating a conveyor module onto the chassis, serving as a buffer and transfer platform after the robotic arm grasps materials, this module can directly interface with an external telescopic conveyor. After being grasped by the end effector, materials are first placed stably on the conveyor module, and then automatically transferred to the telescopic conveyor, realizing a streamlined "grab-transfer-conveyor" operation. This design reduces the stringent requirements for the robotic arm's placement accuracy, reduces robot waiting and alignment time, and makes material flow more efficient and smooth.

[0023] 5. This invention achieves high integration and collaborative operation: It highly integrates multiple functional modules, including a mobile chassis, lifting mechanism, multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm, visual recognition, navigation and obstacle avoidance, and material conveying. Under unified control, these modules work collaboratively, achieving full-process automation from autonomous navigation and positioning, material identification and grasping, attitude adjustment, vertical lifting and handling to automatic docking with external equipment. This demonstrates a high degree of system integration and task adaptability, meeting the flexible and intelligent needs of modern logistics and manufacturing. Attached Figure Description

[0024] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram of the overall structure of a fully automated handling robot according to the present invention; Figure 2 This is a schematic diagram of the lifting device structure in a fully automated handling robot according to the present invention; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram of the material identification module structure in a fully automated handling robot according to the present invention; Figure 4 This is a schematic diagram of the safety protection module structure in a fully automated handling robot according to the present invention; Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the conveying and transporting module structure in a fully automated handling robot according to the present invention.

[0025] In the picture: 1. Tracked chassis; 2. Robotic arm; 3. End effector; 4. Lifting device; 41. Drive motor; 42. Screw jack; 43. Lifting frame base; 44. Load-bearing platform; 5. Conveying and transporting module; 51. Telescopic conveyor; 6. Material identification module; 61. First vision recognition module; 62. Second vision recognition module; 7. Navigation module; 8. Safety protection module; 81. First obstacle avoidance lidar; 82. Second obstacle avoidance lidar; 83. Third obstacle avoidance lidar; 84. Front safety guardrail. Detailed Implementation

[0026] The technical solutions of the embodiments of the present invention will be clearly and completely described below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Obviously, the described embodiments are only some embodiments of the present invention, and not all embodiments. Based on the embodiments of the present invention, all other embodiments obtained by those skilled in the art without creative effort are within the scope of protection of the present invention.

[0027] Example 1: Please refer to Figures 1-5As shown, this invention provides a technical solution: a fully automated handling robot, comprising: a tracked chassis 1, which autonomously moves to a designated location according to the work task; a robotic arm 2, equipped with an actuator to change the posture and position of a designated material; an end effector 3, which keeps the material and the end of the robotic arm 2 relatively stationary; a lifting device 4, which supports the robotic arm 2 and expands its working range; a conveying module 5, which carries the material grasped by the end effector 3 and conveys the material; a material identification module 6, which collects point cloud information of the material and its surroundings for material grasping and placement; a navigation module 7, which collects point cloud information of the overall working space for navigation of the tracked chassis 1; and a safety protection module 8, which collects point cloud information around the vehicle body to form a safe working space. The tracked chassis 1 carries the various execution modules, control modules, and sensing modules, and rotates and translates according to the task information to reach the designated work location. The robotic arm 2 is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the lifting device 4, and its end is connected to the end effector 3 to change the angle and position of the end effector 3. The lower end of the lifting device 4 is fixedly installed in the front left position inside the crawler chassis 1. The lifting device 4 includes a drive motor 41, a screw jack 42, a lifting frame base 43, and a support platform 44. The drive motor 41 and the screw jack 42 are connected. The lower end of the screw jack 42 is fixedly installed inside the lifting frame base 43. The support platform 44 is connected to the inner side of the lifting frame base 43. The lifting device 4 is used to change the vertical height of the robotic arm 2, further expanding the working range of the robotic arm 2. The end effector 3 is connected to the end of the robotic arm 2, used to directly contact the work target, maintain the consistency of the work target's posture with the end effector 3 during operation, and cooperate with the robotic arm 2 to place the work target in the designated position. The conveyor module 5 is fixedly installed on the right side of the upper end of the crawler chassis 1, used to carry the material grabbed by the end effector 3. A telescopic conveyor 51 is provided at the rear end of the conveyor module 5, and the material is directly conveyed to the telescopic conveyor 51. The material identification module 6 is fixedly mounted on the robotic arm 2 and rotates with it. The material identification module 6 is used to collect point cloud information about the material and its surroundings. It includes a first vision recognition module 61 and a second vision recognition module 62, which work together to collect information. The navigation module 7 is installed in the middle and rear of the tracked chassis 1's compartment. It is used to collect point cloud information about the overall work space and provide navigation information for the tracked chassis 1. The safety protection module 8 is installed around the tracked chassis 1. The safety protection module 8 includes a first obstacle avoidance lidar 81, a second obstacle avoidance lidar 82, a third obstacle avoidance lidar 83, and a front safety guardrail 84. It is used to collect point cloud information around the vehicle body to create a safe working space and protect the safety of the workers.

[0028] In this embodiment, during use, the navigation module 7 scans the surrounding global environment to obtain information such as the position, shape, and size of the work target. After planning the optimal navigation route, it sends instructions to the tracked chassis 1. The tracked chassis 1 rotates and translates according to the navigation instructions, autonomously moving to the designated work location. The safety protection module 8 collects point cloud information in the main directions around the vehicle in real time. After confirming that the robot has reached the correct work position, it constructs a basic safety protection space and continuously monitors for any obstacles intruding. The material recognition module 6 follows the rotation of the robotic arm 2, collects material and surrounding point cloud information through the first vision recognition module 61 and the second vision recognition module 62, establishes a suitable grasping method and grasping route, and feeds it back to the control system. The control system instructs the robotic arm 2 to drive the end effector 3 to grasp the material according to the planned route, adjusts the posture, and places the material at the front end of the conveying and transporting module 5. Directly above, the conveyor module 5 is activated, smoothly transferring materials to the connected telescopic conveyor 51, completing one material handling operation. The lifting device 4 expands the working range of the robotic arm 2, reduces the number of frequent adjustments required by the tracked chassis 1, and improves the continuity of operations. The cooperation between the first vision recognition module 61 and the second vision recognition module 62 improves the accuracy of material recognition and grasping. The safety protection module 8 effectively reduces the safety risks of human-machine collaborative operations. The conveyor module 5 simplifies the docking process between materials and the external telescopic conveyor 51, improving material handover efficiency. Compared with traditional handling robots, the overall operational efficiency is significantly improved, solving the problems of limited working range, single vision recognition module, insufficient human-machine collaborative safety, and low material handover efficiency that still exist in the market for handling robots in terms of system integration, flexibility of working range, and environmental adaptability.

[0029] Example 2: Figures 1-5As shown, the high-precision navigation module 7 integrates global environmental point cloud information, GPS positioning data, and inertial navigation data to accurately determine the three-dimensional coordinates, shape, size, and surrounding environment details of the work target. It plans a navigation route with millimeter-level precision, controlling the tracked chassis 1 to smoothly move to the designated work location, correcting route deviations in real time during the process. The safety protection module 8 can collect 360° point cloud information around the vehicle body, constructing an omnidirectional safe working space. When a person or obstacle is detected approaching the safety threshold, it immediately feeds back to the control system, triggering different levels of protective actions such as deceleration, warnings, or shutdown based on the distance. The material recognition module 6, through optimized visual algorithms, quickly processes the collected material and surrounding complex point cloud information, accurately identifying details such as material composition, surface features, and center of gravity. Combined with the performance parameters of the adaptive end effector 3, it establishes the optimal grasping strategy (including gripping force, contact point, and grasping angle). Under the command of the control system, the high-precision, multi-degree-of-freedom robotic arm 2 drives the adaptive end effector 3 to move along a planned high-precision route. The end effector 3 automatically adjusts its gripping state based on the material information. After smoothly grasping the material, the robotic arm 2 precisely adjusts its posture and accurately places the material at the designated position in the conveying module 5. The material positioning and correction devices in the conveying module 5 detect the material's position; if a deviation exists, it automatically corrects it to ensure the material is in the center of the conveyor. Then, the conveying function is activated, accurately transferring the material to the telescopic conveyor 51, while simultaneously feeding back the material conveying status to the control system. During operation, the lifting device 4 adjusts the height of the robotic arm 2 in real time according to operational needs through its built-in position sensing and feedback module, ensuring high-precision positioning of material grasping, transfer, and placement. High-precision navigation and positioning technology ensures the robot's accurate movement and operation in complex environments. The cooperation between the adaptive end effector 3 and the material recognition module 6 enables flexible and precise grasping of materials of different types and shapes, reducing the risk of material damage. The safety protection module 8 provides comprehensive and multi-layered safety protection, fully meeting the safety requirements of intensive human-robot collaborative operations. The positioning and correction functions of the conveying and transport module 5 further improve the accuracy and reliability of material handover, enabling it to handle material handling tasks with millimeter-level precision requirements.

[0030] The overall mechanism achieves the following effects and operates as follows: First, the navigation module 7 automatically selects the optimal navigation method based on the work scenario. In indoor environments without GPS signals, it relies on the fusion of LiDAR and visual navigation data. In open outdoor environments, it integrates GPS and inertial navigation data to accurately plan the navigation route and control the tracked chassis 1 to move flexibly, enabling complex movements such as rotation in place and diagonal translation, quickly reaching the designated work location. Next, the safety protection module 8 collects 360° omnidirectional point cloud information in real time to construct a dynamic safe working space. When an abnormal situation is detected, it issues warnings to surrounding personnel through voice alerts and light prompts. In case of emergency, it immediately triggers emergency braking. Simultaneously, the remote control module synchronizes safety status data in real time. Then, the material recognition module 6 identifies the appearance, shape, color, and other information of materials through the first visual recognition module 61 and the second visual recognition module 62. It integrates multi-dimensional data to determine the most suitable working method and activates the terminal actuator 3 to grasp the material. Then, with the cooperation of the lifting device 4, the robotic arm 2 adjusts its height and horizontal position, driving the terminal actuator 3 to work according to the plan. If it is to grab materials, the materials are placed in the conveyor module 5 after grabbing. If it is to receive materials sent by the telescopic conveyor 51, the conveyor module 5 starts the receiving mode and conveys the materials to the designated position. Then, the robotic arm 2 and the terminal actuator 3 work together to complete the placement of the materials.

[0031] Among them, the tracked chassis 1, robotic arm 2, terminal actuator 3, lifting device 4, conveying and transporting module 5, material identification module 6, navigation module 7 and safety protection module 8 are all existing technologies, and their components and operating principles are all publicly available technologies, which will not be explained in detail here.

[0032] Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the foregoing embodiments, those skilled in the art can still modify the technical solutions described in the foregoing embodiments or make equivalent substitutions for some of the technical features. Any modifications, equivalent substitutions, improvements, etc., made within the spirit and principles of the present invention should be included within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A fully automated handling robot, characterized in that, include: Tracked chassis (1) can autonomously move to a designated location according to the work task; The robotic arm (2) is equipped with an actuator to change the posture and position of a specified material; The terminal actuator (3) keeps the material and the end of the robotic arm (2) relatively stationary; The lifting device (4) supports the robotic arm (2) and expands the working range of the robotic arm (2); The conveying module (5) carries the material grabbed by the terminal actuator (3) and conveys the material. Material identification module (6) collects point cloud information of materials and their surroundings for material grabbing and placement; The navigation module (7) collects point cloud information of the overall work space for navigation of the tracked chassis (1). The safety protection module (8) collects point cloud information around the vehicle body to form a safe working space.

2. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 1, characterized in that: The tracked chassis (1) carries each execution module, control module and sensing module, and rotates and translates according to the task information to reach the designated work location. The robotic arm (2) is fixedly installed on the upper surface of the lifting device (4), and its end is connected to the terminal actuator (3) to change the angle and position of the terminal actuator (3).

3. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 2, characterized in that: The lower end of the lifting device (4) is fixedly installed in the front left of the crawler chassis (1) cabin. The lifting device (4) includes a drive motor (41), a screw jack (42), a lifting frame base (43), and a bearing platform (44). The drive motor (41) and the screw jack (42) are connected.

4. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 3, characterized in that: The lower end of the screw jack (42) is fixedly installed inside the lifting frame base (43). The inner side of the lifting frame base (43) is connected to the bearing platform (44). The lifting device (4) is used to change the vertical height of the robotic arm (2) and further expand the working range of the robotic arm (2).

5. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 4, characterized in that: The terminal actuator (3) is connected to the end of the robotic arm (2) to directly contact the working target, maintain the consistency between the working target and the terminal actuator (3) in posture during the working process, and cooperate with the robotic arm (2) to place the working target in the designated position.

6. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 5, characterized in that: The conveying module (5) is fixedly installed on the right side of the upper end of the tracked chassis (1) and is used to carry the material grabbed by the terminal actuator (3). The rear end of the conveying module (5) is equipped with a telescopic conveyor (51) and the material is directly conveyed to the telescopic conveyor (51).

7. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 6, characterized in that: The material recognition module (6) is fixedly installed on the robotic arm (2) and rotates with the robotic arm (2). The material recognition module (6) is used to collect point cloud information of the material and its surroundings. The material recognition module (6) includes a first visual recognition module (61) and a second visual recognition module (62), which work together to collect information.

8. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 7, characterized in that: The navigation module (7) is installed in the middle and rear of the tracked chassis (1) cabin to collect point cloud information of the overall working space and provide navigation information for the tracked chassis (1). The safety protection module (8) is installed around the tracked chassis (1).

9. The fully automated handling robot according to claim 8, characterized in that: The safety protection module (8) includes a first obstacle avoidance lidar (81), a second obstacle avoidance lidar (82), a third obstacle avoidance lidar (83), and a front safety guardrail (84), which are used to collect point cloud information around the vehicle body to form a safe working space and protect the safety of the staff.

10. A method for the operation logic of a fully automated handling robot, characterized in that, The fully automated handling robot of claim 9 is used, comprising the following steps: S1. First, the navigation module (7) scans the surrounding global environment to determine the location, shape and size of the target and plan the navigation route. S2. The intelligent navigation system controls the autonomous loading and unloading robot to move to the calculated designated work location; S3. The safety protection module (8) obtains the point cloud information of the near space of the autonomous loading and unloading robot and confirms whether the autonomous loading and unloading robot has reached the correct working position. At the same time, the safety protection module (8) will build a safety protection space at all times. S4. The material identification module (6) identifies the working target and its surrounding details, and establishes the grasping method and grasping route. S5. The control terminal actuator (3) grabs the work target and is driven by the robotic arm (2) to place the work target directly above the front end of the conveyor module (5); S6. The working target is transferred from the transport module (5) to the connected telescopic conveyor (51).

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