A method of retrofitting a baggage handling robot

Abstract

A method of retrofitting a robot including a vacuum gripper to a baggage handling workspace including the steps of: providing and mounting a robot including a vacuum gripper to a foundation at said baggage handling workspace, wherein said robot has an operating distance configured to reach a picking zone and a placing zone. The placing zone and the picking zone is at least partly located within the baggage handling workspace, wherein said picking zone and said placing zone includes a fixed infrastructure station and a mobile infrastructure station, wherein said robot is configured for automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage from said fixed infrastructure station to said mobile infrastructure station and / or from said mobile infrastructure station to said fixed infrastructure station, providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter associated with said baggage handling workspace, and adapting an automatic lifting algorithm on the basis of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter, and wherein said robot is configured to perform said automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage according to said adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

Description

A METHOD OF RETROFITTING A BAGGAGE HANDLING ROBOTField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a method for retrofitting a baggage handling robot to a baggage handling workspace.Background of the invention

[0002] A challenge in relation to handling of airport luggage is that the handling of airport luggage relies heavily on manual work, and still does. Dealing with this is a relatively complex and expensive matter. Not only is airport luggage by nature not standardized beside some requirements in relation to weight, but the size and “casings” may be anything from hard casing, soft cases, bags, etc. This means that attempts to deal with the airport luggage in today’s world will in involves huge investments, need of now baggage handling buildings, use of industrial robots, which must be set up in a way that either never fails or at least that there is a backup if the system fails. The required investments are typically too expensive for many airports, and a challenge is also how to handle normal airport routines when installing whatever system is considered.Summary of the invention

[0003] The inventors have identified the above-mentioned problems and challenges related to retrofitting baggage handling robots, and subsequently made the below- described invention which may help with baggage handling efficiency.

[0004] The invention relates to a method of retrofitting a robot including a vacuum gripper to a baggage handling workspace including the steps of: providing and mounting a robot including a vacuum gripper to a foundation at said baggage handling workspace, wherein said robot has an operating distance configured to reach a picking zone and a placing zone, wherein said placing zone and said picking zone is at least partly located within said baggage handling workspace, wherein said picking zone and said placing zone includes a fixed infrastructure station and a mobile infrastructurestation, wherein said robot is configured for automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage from said fixed infrastructure station to said mobile infrastructure station and / or from said mobile infrastructure station to said fixed infrastructure station, providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter associated with said baggage handling workspace, and adapting an automatic lifting algorithm on the basis of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter, and wherein said robot is configured to perform said automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage according to said adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

[0005] The providing of at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter associated with a preexisting baggage handling workspace enables retrofitting in an already fixed and existing environments, e.g., airports.

[0006] The adapting of an automatic lifting algorithm based on the at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter relating to the actual existing environment makes retrofitting simple, fast and cost effective without requiring changes of the preexisting infrastructure.

[0007] The term baggage handling workspace may be understood as an area or zone, where baggage or luggage are being handled either by robots or workers. The handling of baggage may be when the baggage is to be loaded or unloaded from a cart, unit load device or container to / from any kind of conveyor. The baggage in a loading phase may typically come from a check-in where passengers have handed over the baggage at departure to the workers (or self-check-in) at the airport. The baggage may then be transported to a baggage handling workspace by e.g., conveyors and at the baggage handling workspace the pieces of baggage may be moved to a cart or unit load device by e.g., a robot or worker. The cart or the unit load device may then transport the baggage to the airplane. The baggage handling workspace may also be the same zone or area where the baggage is coming from an airplane with a cart or unit load device and is being transferred to a conveyor.

[0008] The baggage handling workspace may also be understood as the zone or area where a baggage handling robot is retrofitted and located and the baggage handlingworkspace may correspond to e.g., a working zone of a safety zone related to the baggage handling robot. An airport may comprise multiple baggage handling workspaces which may be placed next to each other along different fixed and mobile infrastructures, where each baggage handling workspace may be associated with a certain flight route or certain airline company.

[0009] Robot may be understood as a baggage handling robot, e.g. a collaborative robot, where the robot is transferring baggage from a picking zone to a placing zone. The robot may be suited for lifting baggage from one zone to another zone, but the robot may not be suited for lifting all types of baggage, luggage, bags, or suitcases. The limitations of robot may be due to baggage turning upside down or being placed on a wrong side. The baggage could also comprise straps or not be properly closed which would limit the robot for lifting the baggage. It is therefore to be expected that the robot will be limited to lift only a certain percentage of all baggage passing through. The robot may typically be used in e.g., an airport where baggage is to be transported to a plane. The limitation of the robot is handled by a baggage handler which may be able to transfer the baggage that the robot could not lift or handle. The robot may be configured to both actively and passively bypass baggage that the robot is not capable of handling, lifting, or transferring.

[0010] The robot may e.g. be regarded as a stand-alone installation which may be retrofit to existing baggage handling infrastructure of e.g. airport, thereby avoiding installing of industrial robots which are expensive in use. A stand-alone robot in the present context cooperates with an associated conveyor.

[0011] The robot may be understood as an articulated robot, where different parts of the robot are being connected with joints for rotating and turning the robot. The robot may be a robot arm with a simple a two-jointed structure or a robot arm with multiple interacting joints and parts to define the different parts of the robot, e.g., shoulder, elbow and wrist or the robot. The robot may typically have 6 degrees of the freedom for moving and rotating in space.

[0012] The term picking zone is to be understood as the zone where baggage enters a working zone. The picking zone is also the part of the working zone where the robot lifts the baggage with a vacuum gripper (incl. baggage vacuum lift tool). The picking zone may typically only have space for one piece of baggage at a time and the distance between two pieces of baggage may e.g. be at least 10cm for the sensor to detect if it is one or two pieces of baggage. The baggage in the picking zone may typically be baggage, luggage or suitcases with a weight up to approximately 32kg. A very small amount of the pieces of baggage could weigh up to 40kg. A piece of baggage may also be understood as two or more bags which are bound together by straps or two or more suitcases which are locked together. The picking zone may typically comprise a part of a conveyor, where the conveyor conveys baggage to the picking zone. The baggage could typically come from either check-in or another place in the process prior to handling over the baggage to the cart or unit load device which may transfer the baggage to e.g., an airplane. The conveyor may be a lateral or chute for conveying the baggage to the picking zone. The conveyor may also be a carrousel where the baggage is being looped around the same conveying path until the baggage is being unloaded by e.g., the robot or a baggage handler. The conveyor could also be a straight regular conveyor that conveys baggage from a point a to b in a straight line or a line with some turns.

[0013] In an exemplary embodiment of the invention the picking zone may avoid being completely shielded or blocked by e.g., walls or panels together with the placing zone. When the conveyor is open and without e.g., walls it may help baggage handlers for an easier removal of unintended items or baggage in the picking zone that may stop or block the robot. It is advantageous to avoid a total enclosed conveyor and picking zone if the robot stops unintended or a piece of baggage is in the wrong place, a baggage handler could easily get to the picking zone. It could also be the possibility for a baggage handler to place baggage back in the picking zone if the baggage e.g., has been falling off the conveyor or has been moved to the buffer zone.

[0014] Another part of the baggage handling workspace is defined as a placing zone, where the lifted baggage by the robot is transferred to and offloaded. The placing zonecould typically comprise a cart or a unit load device for baggage, where the baggage may be offloaded by the robot. The placing zone may hold or keep as many pieces of baggage as the cart, or the unit load device, is capable of stacking within the space of either e.g., the cart or the unit load device.

[0015] The term at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter may be understood as parameters used by the algorithm of a baggage handling robot to ensure that pieces of baggage are being handled correctly at the particular workspace layout subject to retrofitting.. The parameter may also be used to ensure that a robot may be retrofitted correctly to ensure that the robot may lift and move baggage in the best possible way. The predefined baggage handling workspace parameter may be if the baggage is being offloaded to either a cart or unit load device or what type of cart or unit load device is being used. The cart or unit load device may change from different manufacturers or may change according to what model is being used, where height, dimensions, number of sides, if baggage is being loaded from top or side, etc. All of this may vary from e.g., unit load device to unit load device. The at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter may also be understood as what airport are the baggage handling robot being retrofitted into due to different infrastructure of different airports. The different airports may have different safety and working standards which has to be upheld which may be affect the retrofitting of the baggage handling robot. The at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter may also be associated with the fixed infrastructure station in the airport. The fixed infrastructure station may vary from types of conveyor, conveying speed, distance from robot to conveyor, footprint of either conveyor and / or robot, etc.

[0016] Further predefined baggage handling workspace parameters may be any of the following: distance between baggage on conveyors, conveyors speed, type of fixed infrastructure station e.g., conveyor, inclined conveyor or carousel, type of mobile infrastructure station e.g., cart, unit load device or dolley, safety regulations, height of additional vacuum suction, location of external vacuum. Other, and extremely important workspace parameters may also be the physical layout of the preexisting infrastructure we need to use. This may include e.g. X, Y dimension of conveyors, X,Y dimensions of the space between already mounted fixed infrastructure, such as conveyors (including distance between conveyors, available transport paths for carts, ULD, dolleys etc. and “parking space” for these when being in or forming part of the placing zone).

[0017] All such parameters may be predefined so the lifting algorithm can be prepared as a plug and play algorithm, where one or more of these parameters may be input with little or no hard coding, thereby making it easy to retrofit.

[0018] The term automatic lifting algorithm may be understood as an algorithm used to control how to pick up baggage at one place, transport the baggage to a second location and place the baggage at the second location by a robot. The automatic lifting algorithm may take into account where the baggage is being picked from and where the baggage is being placed. Typically, the baggage may be picked from a conveyor where the baggage is moving while being picked. When the baggage has been picked it may be moved to a cart or unit load device to be placed. The cart or unit load device may typically be steady and still when the baggage is being placed. The automatic lifting algorithm may take into account if any baggage is already placed within the cart or the unit load device when the next piece of baggage is about to be placed. The baggage may also be lifted from a steady position and placed a moving position e.g., a running conveyor.

[0019] The term adapted automatic lifting algorithm may be understood as an automatic lifting algorithm which has been adapted to at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter. The adapted automatic lifting algorithm may take into account the specific airport, the airline company, the type of mobile infrastructure, the dimensions of the cart or unit load device especially the height, and etc. The adapted automatic lifting algorithm may be based on at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter obtained by one or more sensor inputs from one or more sensors located at the baggage handling workspace.

[0020] The term fixed infrastructure station may be understood as devices, working stations or parts where the fixed infrastructure station is a part of the building orconstruction in e.g., an airport. The different fixed infrastructure stations may be conveyors, escalators, full automatic baggage sorting robots, other baggage handling robots, check-in stations, etc. The fixed infrastructure may also refer to a sidewalk normally placed along a conveyor. The sidewalk may typically be used to guide carts or unit load device to a certain location for being loaded / unloaded to the conveyor. The height of the sidewalk may further reduce the lifting height for the robot when the robot is being located on the sidewalk.

[0021] The conveyors may be a straight and flat conveyor like a belt conveyor for conveying baggage from a first location to a second location. The conveyor is typically used to transport baggage from a check-in to a mobile infrastructure station which can handle the transport of the baggage in the last part of the trip to an airplane. The conveyors may be inclined along the conveying direction when transporting baggage from one level to another. The conveyor may also be perpendicular to the conveying direction where baggage is placed at the bottom of the conveyor due to gravity. The fixed infrastructure station may also be two flat conveyors, where one of the two conveyors is located at a distance above the second conveyor. The two conveyors may be flat and parallel to each other and the robot may be configured for loading / unloaded baggage to / from both of the conveyors. The conveyors may be a belt-conveyor or a pocket conveyor using different sizes of boxes according to the size of the baggage being transported. The conveyors may be straight from one location to another or it may be a carousel where baggage may be conveyed endlessly in a loop.

[0022] Further fixed infrastructure stations may be already existing equipment for lifting baggage or cargo in the airport. Already existing equipment may also be for personnel safety or other tasks which has to be done at specific locations in the airport.

[0023] The fixed infrastructure station may also refer a box or chute where baggage is provided for being loaded / unloaded to a mobile infrastructure station like a cart or unit load device. A box or chute may typically comprise an inclined path for the baggage until a picking zone where the baggage stops and can be picked up by a robot or a baggage handler.

[0024] The term mobile infrastructure station may be understood as structures within a baggage handling workspace which may be moved like a cart, unit load device or dolley. The mobile infrastructure station may typically be infrastructure that transport baggage from inside of an airport and to an airplane located outside of the hanger in the airport. The mobile infrastructure station may typically vary from airport to airport due to different local regulations or different airline companies using the specific airports. The mobile infrastructure station may typically be associated with a cart or unit load device. The unit load devices may vary from airline company to airline company where the unit load devices typically are made to specific airplane of specific airline companies. The unit load devices may be transported around the world to different countries and / or different airports where the unit load devices may fit to another type of fixed infrastructure station and baggage handling robot.

[0025] It is advantageous to have a robot for lifting baggage in e.g., an airport to prevent personal from a lot of continuous lifting. The continuous lifting could be a lot of heavy lifting or lifting in ergonomic bad positions for the body of the baggage handler. The robot could further be advantageous to support the baggage handler in staying within the regulatory interventions, where a lot of countries has regulations for baggage handlers limiting the lifting per day to e.g., 6000kg, or approximately 260 pieces of baggage.

[0026] It is also advantageous to a have robot for assisting the baggage handlers where baggage may not be lifted by baggage handlers but only just flipped, turned or placed correctly for the robot to lift the baggage. Two pieces of baggage could also be placed to close to each other on the conveyor and the robot may not be able to handle the two pieces. It is advantageous for the baggage handler to just move or hold back one of the two pieces of baggage away from the other piece of baggage to ensure that the robot is able to lift both pieces of baggage.

[0027] It should also be noted that a robot according to the invention may advantageously reduce the repeated manual work and thereby form a personal assistant to a person, a baggage handler, which may reduce the load and strain on the individualbaggage handler by reducing the number of lifts that baggage handler has to perform by e.g. at least 90%.

[0028] In the present context, vacuum may be understood as a condition below normal atmospheric pressure and is measured in units of pressure. A vacuum can be created by removing air from a space using a vacuum pump or by reducing the pressure using a fast flow of fluid, as in Bernoulli’s principle.

[0029] The created vacuum must be strong enough to enable attachment of baggage weighing up to e.g. 32 kg.

[0030] The baggage handling robot may e.g. be an automated baggage handling version of a robot as described in EP 3720801 Bl or WO 2023 94686 Al.

[0031] Whether the baggage can be lifted or not can be determined in numerous different ways. One way may e.g., by visual inspection combined with prediction. Another way may be a simple try and error performed by the baggage handling robot.

[0032] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapting is an automatically adapting.

[0033] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapting of said automatic lifting algorithm is performed by said robot.

[0034] In an embodiment of the invention, wherein said adapted automatic lifting algorithm is provided to said robot.

[0035] It is advantageous to adapt said automatic lifting algorithm in a controller or even in some sort of cloud-solution and then provide the adapted automatic lifting algorithm to the robot. By doing this the robot may be installed while the algorithm is being adapted to the specific baggage handling workspace where the robot is to be or is being retrofitted.

[0036] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapting comprises selecting an automatic lifting algorithm in accordance with said at least one predefined baggagehandling workspace parameter from a list of automatic lifting algorithms each respectively targeting a specific combination of at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter.

[0037] It is advantageous to adapt the automatic lifting algorithm by selecting an adapted algorithm from a list of algorithms where each algorithm on the list may be associated with a specific airport or specific type of cart or unit load device.

[0038] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapting comprises changing one or more properties of said automatic lifting algorithm in accordance with a specific combination of one or more of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter.

[0039] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot comprises said automatic lifting algorithm when said robot is provided and mounted.

[0040] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot comprises said adapted automatic lifting algorithm when said robot is provided and mounted.

[0041] In an embodiment of the invention, said step of adapting said automatic lifting algorithm is performed prior to said step of providing and mounting said robot.

[0042] It is advantageous to provide an adapted automatic lifting algorithm to a robot prior to installing the robot when knowing that the specific robot is to be installed in a specific airport, e.g., in Heathrow or Schiphol.

[0043] In an embodiment of the invention, said step of adapting said automatic lifting algorithm is part of said step of providing and mounting said robot.

[0044] In an embodiment of the invention, said step of providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is performed prior to said step of providing and mounting said robot.

[0045] It may be advantageous to provide at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter prior to mounting the robot in order to get the robot up andrunning faster in the baggage handling workspace. The parameters may be know prior to installing the robot in the baggage handling workspace which therefore may optimize the process of retrofitting the robot.

[0046] In an embodiment of the invention, said step of providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is part of said step of providing and mounting said robot.

[0047] In an embodiment of the invention, a mounting location of said robot is based on said predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter.

[0048] In an embodiment of the invention, said mounting location is optimized according to one or more of lifting range of said robot, lateral dimension of said placing zone, lateral dimensions of said picking zone, baggage dimension, baggage weight, fixed infrastructure station properties and mobile infrastructure station properties.

[0049] The term mounting location may be understood as the place or location where the robot is mounted when being retrofitted. The mounting location may be on a floor or foundation where the robot is being placed. The mounting location may also be located in the ceiling or just beneath the ceiling when the robot is mounted above the floor. The mounting location may be optimized in order to fit the retrofit of the robot into a baggage handling workspace in an airport where the infrastructure of both fixed and mobile infrastructure is taking up a lot of space.

[0050] The term mounting location may be understood as the area where the robot is mounted to the ground or foundation in the baggage handling workspace. The mounting location may also be understood as a zone or space for the robot configured for handling the baggage. The mounting location may typically be provided next to a fixed infrastructure station like a conveyor and also next to a mobile infrastructure station like a cart in order for the robot to be configured to reach both structures to pick and place baggage.

[0051] The term lifting range may be understood as the attacking point of the robot on the baggage when the baggage is being lifted from conveyor in the picking zone.The lifting range may be understood as the distance from the attacking point to a mounting location of the robot. Further the lifting range may also be understood as the distance from the attacking point to the center of the robot, where the robot is mounted. The lifting range may also be understood as the distance the robot is configured to place a piece of baggage away from e.g., a mounting location of the robot or the center of the robot. The lifting range may be used to determine if a cart is correctly placed within a baggage handling workspace to ensure pieces of baggage may be handled by the robot.

[0052] In an embodiment of the invention, said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is associated with said fixed infrastructure station.

[0053] In an embodiment of the invention, said fixed infrastructure station is selected from one or more of a conveyor, a lateral, a carousel, sidewalk, baggage handling robot.

[0054] In an embodiment of the invention, said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is associated with said mobile infrastructure station.

[0055] In an embodiment of the invention, said mobile infrastructure station is selected from one or more of a cart, a unit load device, a container.

[0056] It is advantageous to associate at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter with either the fixed infrastructure station or the mobile infrastructure station. The parameters may be used to adapt the algorithm which is applied by the robot and the robot may use e.g., the type, dimensions, etc. of the infrastructures to optimize the baggage handling.

[0057] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is selected from one or more fixed infrastructure station describing properties comprising one or more of height, depth, number of sides, airport, safety regulations, country, conveyer-type, conveying speed, height of additional vacuum suction, location of external vacuum.

[0058] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is selected from one or more mobile infrastructure station describing properties comprising one or more of height, depth, number of sides, airline companies, safety regulations, etc. Other parameters are indicated above.

[0059] In an embodiment of the invention, the number of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter is less than 50, such as less than 40, such as less than 30, such as less than 20, such as less than 10, such as less than 5.

[0060] It may be advantageous to limit the number of parameters to fasten the process of getting the robot up and running and handling baggage from e.g., conveyor to unit load device. In specific workspaces only a few number of parameters may be required to have optimized the retrofitting of the robot in that specific workspace.

[0061] In an embodiment of the invention, a distance between two conveyors is at least Im, at least 2m, at least 2.5m, at least 3m, at least 3.5m, at least 4m, at least 5m, or at least 6m.

[0062] In an embodiment of the invention, lifting range is maximum 1.75m, 2m, 2.5m, or 3m.

[0063] In an embodiment of the invention, said distance between two conveyors is at least Im, at least 2m, at least 2.5m, at least 3m, at least 3.5m, at least 4m, at least 5m, or at least 6m and lifting range is maximum 1.75m, 2m, 2.5m, or 3m.

[0064] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot is mounted at said mounting location between two conveyors / laterals.

[0065] It is advantageous to retro fit a robot between two conveyors where the working space may be compromised, or the safety may be maximised. Further the retro fit of the robot between conveyors may be advantageous in order to skip a remodelling of the infrastructure of an airport, which may be complicated and expensive.

[0066] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot is mounted at said mounting location a distance of 0.5m, Im, or 2m of a fixed infrastructure station.

[0067] The distance between a mounted robot and a fixed infrastructure may be understood as the norm from the fixed infrastructure to the robot. The distance which is perpendicular to e.g., a conveying direction of a conveyor or simply to a centerline along the fixed infrastructure. The distance may be understood as the distance from the edge of the fixed infrastructure (like a conveyor) and to the robot. Alternatively the distance may be understood as from a center line of a conveyor parallel with a conveying direction and to the robot.

[0068] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot is mounted at said mounting location, wherein said mounting location is located less than half the distance between two conveyors.

[0069] In an embodiment of the invention, said mounting of said robot is a plug and play solution.

[0070] In an embodiment of the invention, said picking zone comprises a first baggage exit and a second baggage exit.

[0071] The term first baggage exit may be understood as an exit from the picking zone, where the baggage in the picking zone is being lifted away from the picking zone by a baggage vacuum lift tool controlled by the robot. The first baggage exit may also be understood as a way out of the picking zone defined by the end location of the baggage in the placing zone where the baggage is to be delivered. Movement patterns by the baggage when being transported from the picking zone to the placing zone may be different as long as you pick up the baggage in the picking zone and deliver in the placing zone. The different movement patterns out of the picking zone would still be defined as taking the first baggage exit.

[0072] The term an automatically fed second baggage exit may be understood as an exit from the picking zone, where the baggage in the picking zone is being transported out of the picking zone by another item or device than the robot. The baggage may be transported out of the picking zone by e.g., a conveyor or rollers where the baggage may already be placed. The automatically fed second baggage exit is used as a way out of the picking zone when the robot is not capable of lifting the baggage. The robotcould fail in lifting the baggage and the baggage could then be transferred out of the picking zone by the automatically fed second baggage exit. The baggage may also be analysed by a sensor or camera, and the baggage may be concluded to be unable to be lifted by the robot and thereby be transferred out of the picking zone via the automatically fed second baggage exit.

[0073] It is advantageous to have more than one exit from a picking zone in a standalone automated baggage handler. The first baggage exit is used for transferring baggage to a placing zone, like a cart or a unit load device, where the automatically fed second baggage exit for transferring baggage or luggage away from the robot is advantageous to prevent breakdowns and stops for the stand alone automated baggage handler. Most of the baggage may be lifted and transferred out of the picking zone by the robot to the placing zone by the baggage vacuum lift tool through the first baggage exit. In some cases, the robot is not capable of lifting the baggage in the picking zone by the baggage vacuum lift tool. When the robot is not capable of lifting the baggage in the picking zone it is advantageous to automatically pass along the baggage through the automatically fed second baggage exit to make space for the next piece of baggage and prevent the stand alone automated baggage handler to breakdown.

[0074] In an embodiment of the invention, said baggage handling workspace comprises a buffer zone.

[0075] The buffer zone may be understood as a zone for baggage which the robot either can / could or would not lift away from the picking zone. The buffer zone may thus be used for baggage that could be turning with a wrong side up, baggage that would be too heavy for the robot or baggage that would fit better later in the placing zone due to e.g. size of the baggage. The buffer zone may be placed outside of the safety zone to ensure that personal can access the baggage in the buffer zone while the robot is lifting and transferring baggage from the picking zone to the placing zone. The buffer zone may thus be dedicated for baggage which may not be handled automatically by the baggage handling robot for one reason or another. Thus situation may be established automatically in different ways. It may either simply happen and the baggage is then automatically fed to the buffer zone for further handling. Furtherhandling could e.g. be a manual placing of the baggage item in question by a baggage handler in a relevant placing zone, e.g. a placing zone such as one or more baggage cars / ULDs currently used by the robot for automatically placing of the baggage. Further handling may also be a manual or automatically assisted repositioning of the baggage in order to facilitate an automatic lift by the baggage handling robot. This may be advantageous as such a repositioning, e.g. by turning the baggage or repositioning straps / handles to facilitate the automatic vacuum lift may facilitate an uninterrupted automatic pick and place sequences.

[0076] The buffer zone may also be dedicated for baggage which is predicted to be not-liftable, either because the baggage is simply not liftable automatically by the baggage handling robot or because it has to be repositioned before even letting the baggage handling robot trying lifting it.

[0077] A buffer zone may also, in the same application(s) be applied for supplemental sorting, i.e. for automatically by-pass of baggage in relation to the baggage handling robot if the baggage is to be handled in some kind of special way.

[0078] It should thus be noted that the buffer zone has to be adapted to fit the intended purpose, i.e. as a kind of waiting zone dedicated for bypassed baggage items. In particular such as buffer zone or multiple buffers zones should preferably be adapted to ensure that the automatic baggage handling process of the baggage handling robot is not interrupted simply because of overflow in the buffer zone. It least, the buffer zone should be designed to ensure that a normal work process is not interrupted too much.

[0079] Moreover, it should also be noted that a buffer zone preferably should by relatively aligned in the vertical direction in order to provide a smooth transfer from the picking zone to the buffer zone without damaging the baggage.

[0080] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot comprises or is communicatively connected to at least one controller, wherein said at least one controller comprises one or more processors and one or more memories.

[0081] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of said controllers is configured to execute said adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

[0082] It is advantageous to have a controller executing an adapted automatic lifting algorithm at an airport. The controller may execute the adapted automatic lifting algorithm for one or more retrofitted robots when the robots may be located in the same environment of fixed and / or mobile infrastructure stations.

[0083] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of said controllers is configured to execute a robot retrofit configuration procedure.

[0084] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of said controllers is configured to receive said predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter.

[0085] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot retrofit configuration procedure comprises said step of adapting said automatic lifting algorithm to provide said adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

[0086] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot retrofit configuration procedure comprises determining said mounting location of said robot.

[0087] The term robot retrofit configuration procedure may be understood as a procedure which may be used to retrofit a robot to an existing baggage handling workspace. The robot retrofit configuration procedure may include an adapted automatic lifting algorithm based on at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter. The robot retrofit configuration procedure may be used to determine a mounting location for the robot when the robot is to be retrofitted into a baggage handling workspace.

[0088] It is advantageous to have a robot retrofit configuration procedure to optimize a mounting location for a robot when a robot is to be retrofitted into a baggage handling workspace. The procedure may be based on one or more predefined baggage handling workspace parameters which may indicate e.g., how close the robot may be mounted to a fixed infrastructure station or a mobile infrastructure station.

[0089] In an embodiment of the invention, said method comprises further steps of: providing updated baggage handling workspace parameter associated with said baggage handling workspace, and updating said adapted automatic lifting algorithm on the basis of said updated baggage handling workspace parameter, and wherein said robot is configured to perform said automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage according to said updated adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

[0090] The term updated baggage handling workspace parameter may be understood as when e.g., one or more infrastructure stations has been changed. The changes in infrastructure could be another airline company is using the baggage handling workspace with the robot and thereby a new type of unit load devices. The new airline company could be using a different type of cart or unit load device for packing the baggage or cargo. In one example it could be Boing which is using the retrofitted robot with their respective unit load devices. The next day, or the next departure, Airbus may be using the airport, and one or more parameters may be updated according to the respective Airbus unit load device. The updated baggage handling workspace parameter may also be when a new type of conveyor is installed in the airport, or when the conveyor speed is changed due to busy schedule or time of year.

[0091] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot comprises one or more processors and one or more memories, wherein said one or more memories comprise said adapted automatic lifting algorithm and wherein said processors are configured to execute said adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

[0092] In an embodiment of the invention, said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter are provided by means of a user interface and / or a communication module.

[0093] The at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter may be provided by a communication module e.g., like a USB, fiber optics or any wirelessconnected hardware. The at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter may be provided either automatically or manually by workers.

[0094] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot comprises said user interface and / or communication module.

[0095] It may be advantageous to retrofit more robots at the same time with the same adapted automatic lifting algorithm to save time or money.

[0096] In an embodiment of the invention, the automatic lifting algorithm is preprogrammed with adaptable infrastructure parameters.

[0097] The term adaptable infrastructure parameters may be understood as at least one predefined baggage workspace parameter which is related to either fixed or mobile infrastructure station of the baggage handling workspace and which may be adaptable. The adaptable infrastructure parameters may be parameters related to the infrastructure of the baggage handling workspace which typically may be set or adjusted each time a robot is retrofitted to a workspace. It may be advantageous to pre-program an automatic lifting algorithm with adaptable infrastructure parameters when certain parameters must be adapted upon retrofitting a robot to a baggage handling workspace. Typically, it may be advantageous to adapt the specific type of unit load device or what type of conveyor is used to provide baggage to a location within lifting range of a robot.

[0098] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapted automatic lifting algorithm comprises a packing pattern in accordance with at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter related to said mobile infrastructure station.

[0099] The term packing pattern may be understood as a way of packing baggage in a cart or unit load device where baggage is laying still when it is being placed. The robot may use the packing pattern to place multiple pieces of baggage by taking into account the pieces of baggage the robot has already placed inside the cart or unit load device. The packing pattern may be associated with the size, dimension, type of either a cart, container or unit load device.

[0100] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapted automatic lifting algorithm comprises a pick and place sequence in accordance with at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter related to said fixed infrastructure station and mobile infrastructure station.

[0101] The term pick and place sequence may be understood as a certain way of picking a piece of baggage from a picking zone with a robot and placing it inside a placing zone with the robot. A pick and place sequence may typically be automatically initiated every time a baggage item has entered the picking zone or is about to enter it. It goes without saying that such automatic triggering of a pick and place sequence may be overlayered by automatic supplementing decision making subroutines e.g. considering whether the pick and place sequence should be synchronized with other pick and place sequence performed by other robots.

[0102] A pick and place sequence may also typically be correlated with whether there is space available at the placing zone. This availability may furthermore be correlated with information of further approaching baggage items and whether these subsequently arriving items should be handled by the baggage handling robot first in order to fit into an optimal placing pattern.

[0103] The automatic omission of the execution of a pick and place sequence may e.g. advantageously be based on sensor inputs, e.g. vision and / or other relevant sensor technology, facilitating a prediction of whether a baggage in the lifting zone or approaching the lifting zone may in fact be lifted by the baggage handling robot. Such prediction may e.g. be based on assumed weight, dimension, baggage type, baggage surface, etc, and the pick and place cycle may simply be omitted and the baggage item may automatically be automatically fed in such instance via the second baggage exit for other handling. Such handling may simply be a manual lift and placing of the baggage item in question or e.g. a manual adjustment of the baggage item position on the conveyor which may enable the baggage handling robot may be able to pick and place the baggage item in a subsequent pick and place sequence.

[0104] The automatic omission or termination of the pick and place sequence may facilitate a fast bypass of the baggage item instead of risking a failing pick and place sequence and facilitate that the baggage handling frequency is improved as a failed pick and place sequence where the robot is either simply not able to lift the baggage items or if it loses the baggage item will decrease the handling frequency significantly.

[0105] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot is a collaborative robot.

[0106] The international federation of robotics, a global industry association of robot manufacturers and national robot associations, recognizes two main groups of robots: industrial robots used in automation and service robots for domestic and professional use. Service robots could be considered to be collaborative robots (cobots) as they are intended to work alongside humans. Industrial robots have traditionally worked separately from humans behind fences or other protective barriers, but cobots remove that separation. Cobots can have many uses, from information robots in public spaces (an example of service robots), logistics robots that transport materials within a building, to industrial robots that help automate unergonomic tasks such as helping people moving heavy parts, or machine feeding or assembly operations.

[0107] The IFR defines four levels of collaboration between industrial robots and human workers:

[0108] Coexistence: Human and robot work alongside each other without a fence, but with no shared workspace.

[0109] Sequential Collaboration: Human and robot are active in shared workspace but their motions are sequential; they do not work on a part at the same time.

[0110] Cooperation: Robot and human work on the same part at the same time, with both in motion.

[0111] Responsive Collaboration: The robot responds in real-time to movement of the human worker.

[0112] In industrial applications including a cobot, the cobot and human worker share the same space but complete tasks independently or sequentially (Co-existence or Sequential Collaboration.) Co-operation or Responsive Collaboration are presently less common.

[0113] In an embodiment of the robot system, the evaluation comprises establishing a value for the one or more operation parameters and compare the established value with the associated safety limit. The values for the operation parameters may be established by sensors providing input to the robot process / safety controller or the robot process / safety controller reading input from sensors. Alternative, a value of an operation parameter may be derived from measurements of two or more different operation parameters. The evaluation may include comparison of the result of calculation / measuring of operation values calculated or measured from two independent controllers / sensors performing redundant calculation or measurement. At least part of the evaluation may be performed e.g. by appropriate equipment located in the individual joints. An example hereof could be the redundant calculation / measurement in a joint performed by at least two processors and / or sensors.

[0114] In an embodiment of the robot system, the safety rating of the robot safety controller is higher than the safety rating of the robot process controller. This is advantageous in that it has the effect, that by using such safety rated controller, likelihood of hazardous situations is reduce in that the robot safety controller complies with requirements to the safety integrity level (SIL; Safety Integrity Level) 2 or level 3 and / or complying with requirements of the functional safety standard (IEC61508).

[0115] Robots for collaborative operation may preferably comply with certain ISO standards (e.g. ISO 10218-1), which specify standards for such collaborative operation (i.e. without safety guards between the robot and the operator). If a parameter limit is exceeded, an emergency safety stop is issued to protect the environment of the robot or the robot itself.

[0116] In an embodiment of the invention the robot is compliant with one or more of following standards: ISO 10218-1, ISO 10218-2, ISO 15066, ISO 12100.

[0117] In an embodiment of the invention, said robot is compliant with one or more of following standards: ISO 10218-1, ISO 10218-2, ISO 15066, ISO 12100.

[0118] In an embodiment of the invention, said gripper is a vacuum suction tool.

[0119] In an embodiment of the invention, said method of retrofitting comprises suspending a vacuum-suction arrangement in connection with said vacuum gripper.

[0120] It is advantageous to have a variable suction where the pressure between the vacuum suction tool (also referred to as baggage vacuum lift) and the baggage could be changed. The change in suction could be used to save energy when lifting the baggage, where the vacuum source may be reduced and still facilitate lifting of the baggage attached to the vacuum lifting tool and / or facilitate attachment of the baggage to the baggage vacuum lifting tool.

[0121] Further, the suction could be increased when the robot may sense that a baggage is about to be dropped or could fall off from the robot. The robot may then increase the suction to keep the baggage secured to the robot until the baggage may be placed in the placing zone.

[0122] The vacuum source may e.g. be a vacuum source as the vacuum source described in EP 3720801 Bl or WO 202394686 Al.

[0123] Mounting a collaborative robot including a vacuum -based gripper to a floor within said lateral workspace is advantageous to have either a better grip or may lift heavier pieces of baggage. The collaborative robot has an operating distance including a pickup zone and a placing zone,

[0124] The placing zone may be defined as a unit load device temporarily parked at an assigned space in said lateral workspace.

[0125] In an embodiment of the invention, a footprint of said collaborative robot is less than 0.16m2, 0.17m2, 0.25m2, or 0.5m2.

[0126] In an embodiment of the invention, said method of retrofitting includes a step of calibrating said vacuum-based gripper.

[0127] Collaborative robot coworking with existing added lifting system and thereby having a little footprint. The little footprint may be shown in a little area at the foundation where the robot is placed, where the foundation is the floor or ground in a baggage handling workspace, including existing conveyor. It is advantageous to have the little footprint and mount the additional existing lifting system either below the ceiling or any other place to optimize the total footprint of robots.

[0128] In an embodiment of the invention, said calibrating of said vacuum -based gripper is done according to a height of said vacuum-based gripper.

[0129] In an embodiment of the invention, said adapted automatic lifting algorithm comprises a height of said vacuum-based gripper and calibrated due to variable vacuum hose length of said vacuum-based gripper.

[0130] In an embodiment of the invention, said mounting of said robot establish a working zone.

[0131] In an embodiment of the invention, said mounting of said robot establish a safety zone.

[0132] The term safety zone is to be understood as a volume, a space, where the volume is typically defined as minimum a part of the volume from the working zone. The safety zone may in a variation enclose all of the working zone. In an additional embodiment of the invention the safety zone may be the entire working zone and with an additional volume added all around the working zone to define the safety zone for the safety of managers, personal and other items which could be damaged. The safety zone may comprise both the working zone, the picking zone and the placing zone. The safety zone may comprise all of the working zone, all of the picking zone and all of the placing zone.

[0133] The point of a safety zone is that the automatic work performed in the working zone by the baggage handling robot should be optimized for automatic handling ofbaggage from a conveyor to a placing zone with as little interruption as possible from e.g. baggage handlers handling the baggage the baggage robot is unable to handle. In this context interruption may be understood as an automatic halt of the baggage handling robot or a reduction in handling speed if relevant sensors has detected a person or other relevant objects which may interfere with the automatic baggage handling. This may of course include the situation where a person has entered the working zone, more precisely the safety zone, and where it should be avoided that the person in question may be hit by the baggage handling robot, but is may also be a situation where e.g. a baggage cart or a ULD has entered the working zone and where it damage to the robot should be avoided. The safety zone may be established in numerous different ways within the scope of the invention with use of one or more relevant sensors enabling the desired security. It goes without saying that the safety zone may be designed considering the baggage handling design. If the baggage handling robot is a so-called collaborative robot, where the robot joints are monitored in realtime for e.g. indication of collision between the baggage handling robot and any object, dead or alive, the safety zone may optionally be designed as little more lenient as the collaborative robot is not very likely to hurt anything or anybody, whereas a robots having the power to do so, should be monitored extremely careful at locations where collision between the surroundings, including persons, and the robot may arise.

[0134] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of said controllers is configured to receive one or more sensor data from one or more sensors.

[0135] The one or more sensors may also be understood as a sensor for sensing if a baggage is available for picking in the picking zone. The one or more sensors may further sense if the baggage available in the picking zone is liftable for the robot. The one or more sensors may be able to sense if the baggage is available for being picked up by the robot before the baggage has entered the picking zone.

[0136] The one or more sensors may also be understood as a sensor for sensing the placing zone and where to place the next baggage in the placing zone. The one or more sensors may be used to establishing sensing data which may be used as a basis for automatically placing the baggage in the placing zone in suitable placing patterns. Theone or more sensors may sense where the latest baggage was placed / where the current baggage is placed and the distance to both the other baggage items and the boundaries of the cart or unit load device.

[0137] The one or more sensors may also be understood as a sensor for sensing if the baggage is lifted from the conveyor in the picking zone. The sensor may be sensing in a two-dimensional plane right above the conveyor and when a baggage is picked by the baggage vacuum lift tool the sensor may sense when the baggage if being lifted from the conveyor. The sensor is coupled to the controller, where the controller can compare the movement and position of the baggage vacuum lift tool and the sensor input from the two-dimensional plane. A suitcase would typically be lifted from the conveyor immediately when the baggage vacuum lift tool starts moving, where a softer piece of baggage, e.g., a sports bag would be stretched out by the baggage vacuum lift tool before being lifted from the conveyor.

[0138] The one or more sensors may be placed on the floor, in the ceiling, above the conveyor (just above the conveyor and in the ceiling above the conveyor), above the cart, or unit load device, for baggage. The one or more sensors may also be placed directly on the robot, directly on the conveyor, directly in the cart or unit load device.

[0139] It is to be understood that the one or more sensors may be sensing for multiple aspects or a combination of aspects. The sensor could be sensing both for safety reasons (no unintended people in the safety zone) and for placing baggage in the placing zone the most optimal place in the e.g., cart. The sensor may also be able to detect presence of heat from e.g., a person or baggage handler. The detection of heat may also detect e.g., lithium batteries which could be advantageous to avoid a risk of fire.

[0140] It is advantageous to have more sensor for having a higher safety. The higher safety could be an additional safety zone or a copy of the normal safety zone, where other sensors are used to registerer if any unintended items or persons are in the safety zone while the robot is transferring baggage. The additional sensor could work as anextra safety if the first sensors stops working or should be out of function in any kind of way.

[0141] In an embodiment of the invention, said method comprises a step of retrofitting one or more sensors.

[0142] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one said controllers is configured to determine said picking zone and said placing zone based on input from said one or more sensors.

[0143] In an embodiment of the invention, at least one of said controllers is configured to perform surveillance based on input from said one or more sensors and execute a safety procedure based on said surveillance.

[0144] In an embodiment of the invention, said safety procedure comprises pausing execution of said adapted automatic lifting algorithm.

[0145] In an embodiment of the invention, said safety procedure comprises restarting execution of said adapted automatic lifting algorithm preferably within 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 15 seconds or 5 seconds after receiving a restart command.

[0146] The restarting execution may either be a soft or a hard restart. The soft restart may be approximately 5 seconds, 15 seconds, 30 seconds and / or up to a few minutes. The hard restart may typically be around 10 minutes. The soft restart may be when a piece of baggage is dropped or may be positioned incorrectly and a human is needed to e.g., remove the baggage and start the process for transferring baggage by the robot again. The hard restart may typically occur when an actual breakdown has happened like the power is gone or some system errors affects the robot.

[0147] In an embodiment of the invention, said one or more sensors is located at the floor.

[0148] In an embodiment of the invention, said establishing of a safety zone or working zone is based on one or more sensor inputs.

[0149] In an embodiment of the invention, said method comprises a step of retrofitting a guiding system.

[0150] In an embodiment of the invention, said step of retrofitting said guiding system is based on input from said one or more sensors.

[0151] A guiding system may be understood as a system for guiding and / or securing that mobile infrastructure like carts or unit load devices are being placed correctly in relation to the robot and / or fix infrastructure. The guiding system may be a rail in the floor, painted boxes, arrows or lines located on the floor or different types of signs to indicate direction and placement of e.g., a mobile infrastructure station.

[0152] In an embodiment of the invention, said guiding system comprises a visual indicator configured for showing when said mobile infrastructure station is correctly placed according to said robot.

[0153] The term visual indicator may be understood as a lamp which indicates whether a cart or unit load device is correctly placed in the baggage handling workspace. The visual indicator may comprise different colors or be turned on / off to indicate whether the cart or unit load device should be moved any further or has been placed correctly according to the robot. The visual indicator may also be one or more lines on the floor which indicates whether the cart or unit load device has been placed within or prior to visual indicator in the baggage handling workspace.

[0154] The visual indicator may also be understood as a sidewalk along a conveyor where a cart may be parallel parked along the sidewalk.

[0155] In an embodiment of the invention, said guiding system is retrofitted within a predetermined distance to said robot and / or said fixed infrastructure station.The drawings

[0156] Various embodiments of the invention will in the following be described with reference to the drawings where fig. la illustrates baggage handling workspace without robots. fig. lb illustrates a baggage handling workspace with retrofitted robots according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 2a-b illustrates a retrofitted robot in a baggage handling workspace with its respective lifting range according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 3 illustrates a third baggage handling workspace according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 4 illustrates a method for retrofitting a robot to a baggage handling workspace, fig. 5a-b illustrated a guiding system according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 6a-h illustrates different sensor configurations according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 7 illustrates a baggage handling workspace with a retrofitted robot and retrofitted sensors according to an embodiment of the invention, fig. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the invention in fig. 1 where a fixed infrastructure station comprises a height difference, fig. 9 illustrates a stand-alone baggage handling robot according to an embodiment of the present invention, and fig. 10 illustrates a controller for a stand-alone baggage handling robot according to an embodiment of the present invention.Detailed description

[0157] Fig. la illustrates a typical baggage handling workspace without robots for handling and transferring baggage BAG from a conveyor to a mobile infrastructure station MIS 1-6 like a cart or unit load device. The free space in the baggage handling workspace BHW is limited and when additional baggage handling robots may be added, larger remodelling of the fixed infrastructure FIS may be required in order to have enough space for a robot also. Another way of making space enough for robots may be to remove one or more of the conveyors or even build a new terminal. Both solutions are expensive and requires major changes to already existing infrastructure. The illustrated baggage handling workspace BHW in fig. la is built for humans and workers working alongside fixed and mobile infrastructure stations. Major changes in the baggage handling workspace BHW may be necessary to fit baggage handling robots into the baggage handling workspace BHW especially when humans should be allowed to work alongside the robots in the baggage handling workspace BHW.

[0158] Fig. lb illustrates a baggage handling workspace BHW for an airport comprising a fixed infrastructure station FIS with one main conveyor and six conveyors perpendicular to the main conveyor. Next to each of the conveyors is a robot ROB 1-6 located. The robot ROB 1-6 is located between the conveyor and a mobile infrastructure station MIS 1-6. Each mobile infrastructure station MIS 1-6 has a placing zone AOFFZ1-6 located within each mobile infrastructure station MIS 1-6, where baggage BAG may be placed by the respective robots ROB 1-6. The robot may be configured to lift baggage BAG from the fixed infrastructure station FIS, where the fixed infrastructure station FIS may comprise picking zones (only LZ2 is shown - the rest are not shown). The robot ROB 1-6 has been individually retrofitted (not shown) into the baggage handling workspace BHW between the mobile infrastructure station MIS 1-6 and the fixed infrastructure station FIS.

[0159] Fig. lb is illustrated with six robots ROB 1-6 for handling baggage BAG and six different mobile infrastructure stations MIS 1-6. The number of both robots and mobile infrastructure stations may be any desired number according to the baggage handling workspace BHW at e.g., the respective airport. The baggage handlingworkspace BHW may also be divided into multiple baggage handling workspaces each comprising only one robot, one fixed infrastructure station and one mobile infrastructure station (not shown). The baggage handling workspace may be any desired number according to the specific airport, airline company or country where the robots are being retrofitted into.

[0160] The baggage handling workspace BHW illustrated in fig. lb may comprise one or more sensors (not shown) for sensing at least one predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter used for adapting an automatic lifting algorithm. The adapted automatic lifting algorithm may be provided to each of the robots ROB 1-6 or may be adapted by the robot ROB 1-6 itself to retrofit each of the robots ROB 1-6 respectively (not shown) to the baggage handling workspace BHW.

[0161] Fig. lb illustrates that all conveyors are parallel and all mobile infrastructure stations MIS 1-6 are located along the conveyors with a robot ROB 1-6 between the two. In an alternative embodiment of the invention the mobile infrastructure station may be located at the end of each conveyor in extension of each conveyor. The robots may also be located in extension of the conveyors between the fixed and mobile infrastructures. The robots may also be located next to the fixed and mobile infrastructures in any configuration where the robot is capable of transferring baggage from a fixed infrastructure station to a mobile infrastructure station or the other way around. The person skilled in the art of retrofitting robots in baggage handling workspaces may be inspired to locate the robot in different configuration as long as the robot has a lifting range within the range of both a fixed infrastructure station and a mobile infrastructure station.

[0162] Fig. 2a illustrates a baggage handling workspace BHW comprising a robot ROB, where the robot ROB has a lifting range LR. The lifting range LR is defined as the furthest distance away from the robot ROB where the robot ROB is configured to either pick or place pieces of baggage (not shown). It may also be understood as the furthest away an attachment point of the robot on a piece of baggage is capable of reaching. The attachment point may also be understood as attacking point of the robot where it the interaction between the robot and the piece of baggage is. Within thebaggage handling workspace BHW is also located a mobile infrastructure station MIS, which typically may be either a cart or unit load device. The mobile infrastructure station MIS is partly located within the reach of the lifting range LR of the robot ROB. Inside the mobile infrastructure station MIS is a placing zone AOFFZ located. The robot ROB is configured to place pieces of baggage in the area of the placing zone AOFFZ where the lifting range LR is capable of reaching. The baggage handling workspace BHW illustrated in fig 2a may be a part of the system illustrated in fig. lb or may be a stand-alone. Fig. 2a further illustrates that a mobile infrastructure station MIS may not have to be totally placed within the lifting range LR of the robot ROB in order to pack the baggage inside the mobile infrastructure station MIS.

[0163] In another embodiment of the invention (not shown) all of the mobile infrastructure station may be located within the loading zone depending on both the size or type or the mobile infrastructure station and the lifting range (not shown) of the robot.

[0164] Fig. 2b illustrates a same baggage handling workspace BHW similar to the baggage handling workspace BHW in fig. 2a. In fig. 2b a mobile infrastructure station MIS is located totally within a lifting range LR of a robot ROB handling baggage. The mobile infrastructure station MIS comprises a placing zone AOFFZ configured for placing baggage lifted by the robot ROB.

[0165] Fig. 3 illustrates a baggage handling workspace BHW similar to the baggage handling workspace BHW illustrated in figs. 2a-b. In fig. 3 the baggage handling workspace BHW comprises a fixed infrastructure station FIS and a mobile infrastructure station MIS with a robot ROB located between the two infrastructures. The fixed infrastructure station FIS comprises a picking zone LZ where a piece of baggage BAG is located. The mobile infrastructure station MIS comprises a placing zone AOFFZ within the sides of mobile infrastructure station MIS. Additional baggage BAG is being moved along the fixed infrastructure station FIS, e.g., a conveyor to get to the picking zone LZ where the robot ROB can transfer the baggage BAG. The placement of the robot ROB is defined as a mounting location ML which is located next to both the fixed and mobile infrastructures. In additional embodiments of theinvention the location of the mounting location ML and the mobile infrastructure station MIS may be placed on the other side of the fixed infrastructure FIS or in the extension of the fixed infrastructure FIS. The mounting location ML may be placed between the fixed and mobile infrastructures but may also be placed next to both infrastructures.

[0166] The method for retrofitting a robot within a baggage handling workspace is illustrated in fig. 4. In a first step SI a robot for baggage handling is provided and mounted to a baggage handling workspace. When the robot is mounted in the baggage handling workspace the robot is mounted to have an operating distance configured to reach a picking zone and a placing zone.

[0167] In a second step S2 of the method at least one predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter which is associated with the baggage handling workspace is provided. The at least one parameter may be provided to a controller (not shown), the robot or anything else relating to an automatic lifting algorithm.

[0168] In a third step S3 of the method an adapting of the automatic lifting algorithm on the basis of the at least one predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter is done. The adapting of the automatic lifting algorithm may be done in the robot or in a controller, where the controller may be communicatively coupled with the robot. The robot is configured to perform baggage lifting based on the adapted automatic lifting algorithm which has been adapted in step S3.

[0169] In another embodiment of the invention, the method illustrated in fig. 4 may be performed in another sequence, where e.g., the providing and mounting of the robot is the last step of the method. The robot may not be provided and mounted before an automatic lifting algorithm has been adapted based on at least one parameter from the baggage handling workspace. The adapting of the algorithm may also be done while the robot is being provided and mounted. In an additional embodiment of the invention the providing of the predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter may be done both prior, at the same time or after the robot is either being provided or mounted.

[0170] In other embodiments of the invention, the method of retrofitting a robot within a baggage handling workspace may comprise one or more steps SN / SM including retrofitting one or more sensors or retrofitting a guiding system. The steps may be carried out both prior to, along or after the first three steps S 1 -S3 of the method. The method could also comprise a step of retrofitting a vacuum-based gripper / vacuum-suction arrangement and / or calibrating a vacuum-based gripper. The method could also comprise retrofitting a safety button for stopping the robot or rebooting the robot. The steps of SN or SM may in some cases be the same step, e.g., when retrofitting sensors. A first sensor may be retrofitted to prior to providing a robot, a second sensor may be retrofitted while mounting the robot and additional sensors may be mounted after the robot has been retrofitted.

[0171] Fig. 5a illustrates a baggage handling workspace BHW comprising a guiding system GS for guiding and correctly placing a mobile infrastructure station MIS within the baggage handling workspace BHW. The mobile infrastructure MIS may be a cart or unit load device either for unloading baggage BAG to a fixed infrastructure station FIS or loading baggage BAG from the fixed infrastructure station FIS. The guiding system GS is illustrated as marking on the floor which may be a simple painting or actual elevated embodiments on the floor. The guiding system GS is illustrated as a parking booth but may also be a simple line indicating how long forward the mobile infrastructure station MIS may come. The guiding system GS may also be a lamp or monitor indicating if the mobile infrastructure station MIS has been correctly placed according to the robot ROB or the mobile infrastructure station MIS may be adjusted for optimizing the baggage handling process. The lamp or monitor may be a green or red light which indicates if the mobile infrastructure station is located correctly. The monitor may also indicate (not shown) which direction the mobile infrastructure station MIS should be moved for optimizing the placement of the mobile infrastructure station MIS and thereby optimizing the work speed of the robot ROB.

[0172] Fig. 5a illustrates that a cart MIS is moving towards the baggage handling workspace BHW including the guiding system GS, where the guiding system GS shows the way for the best position of the cart MIS. Additionally, baggage BAG isalready being conveyed towards a picking zone LZ to be transferred by the robot ROB to the cart MIS.

[0173] Fig. 5b illustrates that the cart MIS illustrated in fig. 5a has been guided and placed inside the guiding system GS. The guiding system GS illustrated in fig. 5b is similar to the placing zone AOFFZ, but the placing zone AOFFZ may in other embodiments be smaller, larger or only partly placed within the guiding system GS. In an embodiment of the invention where the guiding system GS is a monitor or lamp, the guiding system GS and a placing zone AOFFZ may not share any space or area at all.

[0174] The guiding system GS illustrated in both fig. 5a and 5b may both be an active or passive guiding system GS. A passive guiding system may be a sidewalk, painted lines or marked panels. The active guiding system may be indicators based on sensor inputs which states or indicates if a mobile infrastructure MIS is correctly placed in the baggage handling workspace BHW. The active guiding system may also be monitors, lamps or other signals which states if the mobile infrastructure MIS should be moved or even in which direction to move the mobile infrastructure MIS.

[0175] Fig. 6a-d illustrates different embodiments of the invention used to sense a baggage handling workspace. The one or more sensors SENS may be used to sense at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter. The one or more sensors SENS may further be applied to establish and watch a safety zone SZ in the baggage handling workspace. The figures illustrate different placement of sensors SENS, where the sensors may be mounted to an already existing baggage handling workspace along while retrofitting a robot (not shown). The one or more sensors SENS may also be retrofitted to the baggage handling workspace prior to retrofitting the robot. When retrofitting the one or more sensors SENS prior to retrofitting the robot the one or more sensors may be used to sense or measure at least one predefinedbaggage handling workspace parameter, which may be used to determine e.g., a mounting location for the robot. The safety zone SZ may comprise one sensor SENS as shown in fig. 6c and 6d, where the sensor SENS may be placed both outside and inside the safety zone SZ. Fig 6b illustrates that two sensors SENS may be used to for sensing and in fig. 6a foursensors SENS are illustrated outside the safety zone SZ for sensing. The number of sensors SENS may vary from one to multiple sensors (not shown). The placement of the sensors SENS may be inside, on the edge, above, below, next to the safety zone SZ or any combination thereof. The sensors SENS may be placed on the floor, in the floor, in the ceiling, on the robot, on the conveyor, next to the conveyor or robot, in the cart / unit load device, in the working zone, in the picking zone, in the placing zone or anything related to a stand-alone baggage handling robot described above. Additional sensors may be retrofitted later in the process if needed.

[0176] The sensors SENS shown in fig. 6a-d may be used for sensing multiple aspects of the invention. The sensors SENS may be used to sense any of the at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter, e.g., mobile infrastructure station type, dimensions, shape, etc. The sensors SENS may further be used as a safety parameter associated with the safety zone. The sensors SENS may sense if any unintended objects are placed or entering the safety zone SZ. The sensors SENS may also sense if people are inside the safety zone SZ or entering the safety zone SZ. The sensors SENS may also be able to sense when a piece of baggage (not shown) is being conveyed along a conveyor to picking zone (not shown). The sensors SENS may screen and track the piece of baggage to get information for the controller (not shown) to indicate if the piece of baggage can be picked up by a baggage handling robot (not shown). The sensors SENS may also be used to sense where a picked-up piece of baggage may be placed in the placing zone (not shown) by the robot according to the space available in the placing zone and the baggage already placed in the placing zone. The sensors SENS may also sense when a piece of baggage is completely lifted from the picking zone, which may indicate by the controller (not shown) if the piece of baggage has expanded while being lifted by the robot. A sensor SENS may be capable of sensing one or more of the above-mentioned things or any combination thereof.

[0177] The sensors used for a stand-alone baggage handling robot may be either a distance, infrared IR, motion, video, picture, audio, pressure, heat sensor or any combination thereof. The stand-alone baggage handling robot may comprise multiple sensors chosen from the above mentioned list or in a combination thereof.

[0178] Fig. 6e-h illustrates different safety zones SZ where the safety zone SZ is configured as a dynamic safety zone SZ. The dynamic safety zone illustrated in fig. 6e-h shows a safety zone SZ comprising two parts of a safety zone SZ where the first part of the safety zone SZ is configured for a hard stop of a robot (not shown) and the second part of the safety zone SZ is configured for a slow stop (slowing down) the robot. As illustrated from fig. 6e to fig. 6g, one part of the safety zone SZ has grown in size and the other part of the safety zone SZ is smaller. The change in size of the different parts of the safety zone SZ may be done according to the size of the baggage (not shown) being picked and placed or may be done because the robot is paused / working in one of the two illustrations. The two parts of the safety zone SZ may also switch place according to fig. 6e and 6h where the e.g., hard stop and soft stop has switched places. The safety zone SZ may comprise more than two different parts (not shown) configured for different situations of the robot (not shown) or multiple parts of the same situation inside the safety zone SZ. The different parts of the safety zone may both change in size and function over time according to the standalone baggage handling robot (not shown) if the robot is paused, working, has dropped baggage or any other kind of action regarding the robot or anything related inside or neat the safety zone SZ. The different types of stop may require different types of restart or reset of the robot.

[0179] The robot (not shown) may also be able to replace baggage that is unable to be scanned by a sensor. The robot may replace the baggage and thereby a sensor may be able to scan the baggage to e.g., check if the baggage is being conveyed to the correct place.

[0180] It is advantageous to retrofit one or more sensors to an existing baggage handling workspace since it may be done without compromising the baggage handling workspace. The one or more sensors may complement each other without major changes to the baggage handling workspace with the infrastructures located within. The one or more sensors may even be retrofitted to an existing baggage handling workspace without making any changes to the fixed or mobile infrastructure stations at the baggage handling workspace at all. The one or more sensors may be retrofittedto the baggage handling workspace prior, at the same time or after a robot has been retrofitted to the baggage handling workspace.

[0181] Fig. 7 illustrates an embodiment of the invention where multiple sensors are configured for sensing baggage BSENS in both picking zone and placing zone (shown as working zone) and anything related to a safety zone SZ. A robot ROB for picking and placing baggage from a conveyor CONV is illustrated with an emergency button BUT next to the robot ROB for a manual stop of the robot ROB. The figure further shows two buttons BUT placed outside of the safety zone SZ for stopping the robot ROB or reactivating / restarting the robot ROB after it has been stopped or slowed down. The safety zone SZ may also reactive or start the robot ROB if a baggage handler (not shown) leaves the safety zone SZ after the baggage handler entered the safety zone SZ in the first place.

[0182] In other embodiments of the invention the number of buttons placed in the baggage handling workspace may be any number required to have a properly working robot and related workspace. The buttons may be already existing buttons but may also be retrofitted along with the robot and / or one or more sensors for the baggage handling workspace. The buttons may be retrofitted prior, at the same time or after both the robot and / or the one or more sensors. The button(s) and / or one or more sensors may be placed in the baggage handling workspace in association with any fixed or mobile infrastructure station and not just limited to the positions related to the conveyor illustrated in fig. 7.

[0183] Fig. 8 shows a side view of the system illustrated in fig. lb. Fig. 8 illustrates a retrofitted robot ROB according to an embodiment of the invention, where the robot ROB is seen from a sideview compared to fig. lb. The robot ROB is mounted next to a fixed infrastructure station, here illustrated as a conveyor CONV, and mounted next to a mobile infrastructure station, here illustrated as a cart CAR. The conveyor CONV comprises a difference in height from the main part of the fixed infrastructure station to the branch off conveyor part next to the robot ROB. In another embodiment of the invention the height is the same for the fixed infrastructure station and the branched off conveyor. A baggage handler BH is illustrated standing next to the robot ROBwhere the baggage handler BH may handle baggage which is not being pick by the robot ROB. The baggage not being picked (not shown) may either be intentionally or unintentionally by the robot ROB which e.g., may be determined by a controller (not shown) based on input from one or more sensors (not shown).

[0184] Fig. 9 illustrates a robot ROB comprising a plurality of joints connecting a robot ROB from a robot base RBA to a baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. A base joint FJO is configured to rotate the robot ROB around a base axis FAO as illustrated by rotation arrow RAO; a first joint FJ1 is configured to rotate the robot ROB around a first axis FA1 as illustrated by rotation arrow RAI; a second joint FJ2 is configured to rotate the robot ROB around an second axis FA2 as illustrated by rotation arrow RA2, a third joint FJ3 is configured to rotate the robot ROB around a first third axis FA3 as illustrated by rotation arrow RA3 and a fourth joint FJ4 is configured to rotate the robot ROB around a fourth axis FA4 as illustrated by rotation arrow RA4. Fifth joint FJ5 is a tool joint comprising the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL, which is rotatable around a fifth axis FA5 as illustrated by rotation arrow RA5. The illustrated robot ROB is thus a six-axis robot ROB with six degrees of freedom with six rotational robot joints, however it is noticed that the present invention can be provided in robots comprising less or more robot joints and also other types of robot joints such as prismatic robot joints providing a translation of parts of the robot for instance a linear translation.

[0185] A baggage vacuum lift reference point VRP also known as a TCP is indicated at the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL and defines the origin of a baggage vacuum lift coordinate system defining three coordinate axis xvacuum, yvacuum, zvacuum. In the illustrated embodiment the origin of the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system has been arrange on the fifth axis FA5 with one axis (zvacuum) parallel with the fifth axis and with another axis xvacuum, yvacuum parallel with the outer surface of the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. Further a base reference point BRP is coincident with the origin of a robot base coordinate system defining three coordinate axis xbase, ybase, zbase. In the illustrated embodiment the origin of the robot base coordinate system has been arrangeon the base axis FAO with one axis (zbase) parallel with the base axis FAO axis and with another axis xbase, ybase parallel with at the bottom surface of the robot base.

[0186] The robot ROB comprises at least one controller CON configured to control robot ROB and can be provided as a computer comprising an interface device IFD enabling a user to control and program the robot ROB. The controller CON can be provided as an external device as illustrated in fig. 9 or as a device integrated into the robot ROB (not shown) or as a combination thereof. The interface device IFD can for instance be provided as a teach pendent as known from the field of industrial robots which can communicate with the controller CON via wired or wireless communication protocols. The interface device IFD can for instanced comprise a display and a number of input devices such as buttons, sliders, touchpads, joysticks, track balls, gesture recognition devices, keyboards etc. The display may be provided as a touch screen acting both as display and input device. The interface device IFD can also be provided as an external device configured to communicate with the robot controller, for instance as smart phones, tablets, PCs, laptops, etc. The interface device IFD can be a teach pendent or handle or smartphone communicating wired or wireless with the robot controller.

[0187] The baggage vacuum lift tool BVL comprises a force-torque sensor FTS integrated into the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. The force-torque sensor FTS provides a baggage vacuum lift force signal indicating a force-torque provided at the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. In the illustrated embodiment the force-torque sensor FTS is integrated into the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL and is configured to indicate the forces and torques applied to the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL in relation to the baggage vacuum lift reference point VRP. The force-torque sensor FTS provides a force and torque signal indicating a force and torque provided at the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. In the illustrated embodiment the force-torque sensor FTS is integrated into the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL and is configured to indicate the forces-torque applied to the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL in relation to the reference point VRF and in the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system. However, the force-torque sensor FTS can indicate the force-torque applied to the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL inrelation to any point which can be linked to the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system. In one embodiment the force-torque sensor FTS is provided as a six-axis force-torque sensor FTS configured to indicate the forces along and the torques around three perpendicular axis. The force-torque sensor can for instance be provided as any forcetorque sensor capable of indicating the forces and torques in relation to a reference point. However, it is to be understood that the force sensor in relation to the present invention not necessarily need to be capable of sensing the torque applied to the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. It is noted that the force-torque sensor FTS may be provided as an external device arranged at the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL or omitted.

[0188] An acceleration sensor AS is arranged at the fifth joint FJ5 and is configured to sense the acceleration of the fifth joint FJ5 and / or the acceleration of the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. The acceleration sensor AS provides an acceleration signal indicating the acceleration of the fifth joint FJ5 and / or the acceleration of the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. In the illustrated embodiment the acceleration sensor AS is integrated into the fifth joint FJ5 and is configured to indicate accelerations of the fifth joint FJ5 in the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system. However, the acceleration sensor AS can indicate the acceleration of the fifth joint FJ5 in relation to any point which can be linked to the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system. The acceleration sensor AS can be provided as any accelerometer capable of indicating the accelerations of an object. The acceleration sensor AS can for instance be provided as an Inertial Measurement Unit capable of indicating both linear acceleration and rotational accelerations of an object. It is noted that the acceleration sensor AS may be provided as an external device arranged at the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL or omitted.

[0189] Each of the joints comprises a joint body and an output flange rotatable or translatable in relation to the joint body and the output flange is connected to a neighbour joint either directly or via an robot arm part(s) RAP as known in the art. The dimension and / or length of the robot arm part(s) RAP may be configured to fit the desired function and / or reach of a robot arm RAM of a specific baggage handling robot. The joint comprises a joint motor configured to rotate or translate the outputflange in relation to the joint body, for instance via a gearing or directly connected to the motor shaft. The joint body can for instance be formed as a joint housing and the joint motor can be arranged inside the joint housing and the output flange can extend out of the joint housing. Additionally, the joint comprises at least one joint sensor providing a sensor signal indicative of at least one of the following parameters: an angular and / or linear position of the output flange, an angular and / or linear position of the motor shaft of the joint motor, a motor current of the joint motor or an external force and / or torque trying to rotate the output flange or motor shaft. For instance, the angular position of the output flange can be indicated by an output encoder such as optical encoders, magnetic encoders which can indicate the angular position of the output flange in relation to the robot joint. Similarly, the angular position of the joint motor shaft can be provided by an input encoder such as optical encoders, magnetic encoders which can indicate the angular position of the motor shaft in relation to the joint. It is noted that both output encoders indicating the angular position of the output flange and input encoders indicating the angular position of the motor shaft can be provided, which in embodiments where a gearing have been provided makes it possible to determine a relationship between the input and output side of the gearing. The joint sensor can also be provided as a current sensor indicating the current through the joint motor and thus be used to obtain the torque provided by the motor. For instance, in connection with a multiphase motor, a plurality of current sensors can be provided in order to obtain the current through each of the phases of the multiphase motor. It is also noted that some of the joints may comprise a plurality of output flanges rotatable and / or translatable by joint actuators, for instance one of the joints may comprise a first output flange rotating / translating a first part of the robot ROB in relation to the joint and a second output flange rotating / translating a second part of the robot ROB in relation to the joint. As indicated above, the joint sensor can also be provided as a force and / or torque sensor or acceleration sensor. Such force and / or torque and acceleration sensor may be part of the outmost joint as indicated on fig. Y, however the other parts of the robot ROB may also comprise force / torque sensors.

[0190] The robot ROB is further illustrated with a vacuum source VAC. The vacuum source VAC is used for generating a suction for picking, lifting and placing thebaggage by the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. The vacuum source VAC is connected to the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL for helping generating a suction and a vacuum between the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL and the baggage.

[0191] The robot controller is configured to control the motions of the robot ROB by controlling the motor torque provided to the joint motors based on a dynamic model of the robot ROB, the direction of gravity acting and the sensor signal.

[0192] Fig. 10 illustrates a simplified structural diagram of the robot ROB illustrated in fig. 9. The joints FJO, FJ1 and FJ5 have been illustrated in structural form and the joints FJ2, FJ3 and FJ4 and the robot links connecting the joints have been omitted for the sake of simplicity of the drawing. Further the joints are illustrated as separate elements however it is to be understood that they are interconnected either directly or via robot links as illustrated in fig. 9. The joints comprise an output flange OPO, OP1, OP5 and a joint motor MJ0, MJ1, MJ5 or another kind of actuator, where the output flange OPO, OP1, OP5 is rotatable in relation to the joint body. The joint motors MJ0, MJ1, MJ5 are respectively configured to rotate the output flanges OPO, OP1, OP5 via an output axle OAO, OA1, OA5. It is to be understood that the joint motor or joint actuator may be configured to rotate the output flange via a transmission system such as a gear (not shown). In this embodiment the output flange OP5 of the fifth joint FJ5 constitutes the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. At least one joint sensor JSO, JS1, JS5 providing a sensor signal SSO, SSI, SS5 indicative of at least one joint sensor parameter Jsensor,o, Jsensor,i , Jsensor,5 of the respective joint. The joint sensor parameter can for instance indicate a pose parameter indicating the position and orientation of the output flange in relation to the robot joint body, an angular position of the output flange, an angular position of a shaft of the joint motor, a motor current of the joint motor. The joint sensor parameter is selected from the list comprising: speed, acceleration, torque, motor torque, force and position. The joint sensor parameters can be measures obtained from sensors or values derived from such sensor values. For instance, the angular position of the output flange can be indicated by an output encoder such as optical encoders, magnetic encoders which can indicate the angular position of the output flange in relation to the robot joint. Similar, the angular positionof the joint motor shaft can be provided by an input encoder such as optical encoders, magnetic encoders which can indicate the angular position of the motor shaft in relation to the joint. The motor currents can be obtained and indicated by current sensors.

[0193] The robot controller CON comprises a processer PROC and memory MEM and is configured to control the joint motors of the joints by providing motor control signals MS0, MSI, MS5 to the joint motors. The motor control signals MS0, MSI, MS 5 are indicative of the motor torque Tmotor,o, Tmotor,i, and Tmotor,5 that each joint motor shall provide to the output flanges and the robot controller is configured to determine the motor torque based on a dynamic model of the robot ROB as known in the prior art. The dynamic model makes it possible for the controller CON to calculate which torque the joint motors shall provide to each of the joint motors to make the robot ROB perform a desired movement. The dynamic model of the robot ROB can be stored in the memory MEM and be adjusted based on the joint sensor parameters Jsensor,0, Jsensor,l , Jsensor,5 For instance, the joint motors can be provided as multiphase electromotors and the robot controller can be configured to adjust the motor torque provided by the joint motors by regulating the current through the phases of the multiphase motors as known in the art of motor regulation.

[0194] Fifth joint FJ5 comprises the force-torque sensor FTS providing a baggage vacuum lift force-torque signal FTSS indicating a force-torque FTvacuum provided to the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL. For instance, the force signal-torque FTvacuum can be indicated as a force vector FSensormand a torque vectorin the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system: eq. 1

[0195] where Fx, sensor is the indicated force along the xvaCuum axis, Fy 'sensor is the indicated force along the yvacuum axis and Fz e^sor is the indicated force along theZvacuum HX1S.

[0196] The torque can be indicated as a torque vector in the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system: eq. 2

[0197] where T^sensor is the indicated torque around the xvacuum axis, T^sensor is the indicated torque around the yvacuum axis and T™ensor is the indicated torque around the zvaCuum axis. It is noted that the force vector and torque vector can be provided as separate signals and that a separate force sensor and / or torque sensor can be provided.

[0198] Fifth joint FJ5 may comprise the acceleration sensor AS providing an acceleration signal ASS indicating the acceleration of the baggage vacuum lift tool BVL where the acceleration may be indicated in relation to the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system

[0199] is the sensed acceleration along the xvaCuum axis, Ayasc^™ris the sensed acceleration along the yvacuum axis and Azasce^%. is the sensed acceleration along the Zyacuum axis.

[0200] In an embodiment where the acceleration sensor AS is provided as a combined accelerometer / gyrometer the acceleration sensor can additionally provide an angular acceleration signal indicating the angular acceleration of the output flange in relation to the baggage vacuum lift coordinate system, for instance as a separate signal or as a part of the acceleration signal. The angular acceleration signal can indicate an angular acceleration vector agensor1inthe baggage vacuum lift coordinate system

[0201] where axasensor is the angular acceleration around the xvacuum axis, cr^sensor is the angular acceleration around the yVacuum axis andis the angular acceleration around the zvacuum axis.

[0202] The force-torque sensor FTS and acceleration sensor AS of the illustrated embodiment are arranged at the fifth joint FJ5; however, it is to be understood that the force-torque sensor FTS and acceleration sensor AS can be arrange at any part of the robot ROB and in some embodiments be omitted.Fig. 9 and 10 illustrates two exact embodiments of the invention but they are also illustrated as a guide for the skilled person within the field of baggage handling. The skilled person may use a robot with any number of joints e.g., 3, 4, 5, 7 or higher instead of the illustrated 6 joints in the figure. Further the number of motors and motors signals may also be an inspiration for the person skilled in the art to change the number of motor and / or motor signals in order to control the robot for baggage handling. The skilled person may also be inspired by the combination of fig. 9 and 10 to have a controller for the robot which is configured to have the system running and handling baggage by lifting. The controller and memory may be used to secure that the baggage have been lifted or if not and further for what the robot may do in the next according to what happened to the previous piece of baggage. The system and / or the method for picking and placing baggage with a baggage handling robot may be design with more or less joints or motors and with a controller and / or memory configured for lifting and placing the baggage. The person skilled in the art may be inspired to create or facilitate different embodiments of the invention, where e.g., the number of joints are different than compared to the illustrated embodiment in fig. 9 and 10.

[0203] List of reference signs:AIP Adaptable infrastructure parameterALA Adapted automatic lifting algorithmLA Automatic lifting algorithmAOFFZ Placing zoneBHW Baggage handling workspaceBVL Vacuum-based gripper / baggage vacuum liftCON ControllerCONV ConveyorEXI First baggage exitEX2 Automatically fed second baggage exitFIS Fixed infrastructure stationGS Guiding systemLR Lifting rangeLZ Picking zoneMEM MemoryML Mounting locationMIS Mobile infrastructure stationPP Packing patternPRO Processor(s)PPAR Predefined baggage handling workspace parameterROB Robot I Baggage handling robotSENS One or more sensorsBSENS Baggage sensorSZ Safety ZoneUP AR Updated baggage handling workspace parameterWZ Working zoneVI Visual indicator(s)ULD Unit load deviceBZ Buffer ZoneMANZ Manual ZoneFJO Base jointFJ1 First jointFJ2 Second jointFJ3 Third jointFJ4 Fourth jointFJ5 Fifth jointFAO Base axisFA1 First axisFA2 Second axisFA3 Third axisFA4 Fourth axisFA5 Fifth axisRAO, RAI, RA2, RA3, RA4, RA5 Rotation arrow IFD Interface deviceFTS Force-torque sensorVRP Baggage vacuum lift reference pointBRP Base reference pointAS Acceleration sensorFTSS Force-torque sensor signalASS Acceleration sensor signalOPO, OP1, OP5 Output flange MJO, MJ1, MJ5 Joint motor OAO, OA1, OA5 Output Axle JSO, JS1, JS5 Joint sensor SSO, SSI, SS5 Sensor signal VAC Vacuum sourcePS Power supplyRAP Robot arm part(s)RAM Robot armBAG Baggage itemPAPA Placing patternPPSEC Pick and place sequenceBUT ButtonTRA TrackPUSH Pushing memberPL Placing line CAR Carrier

Claims

Claims1. Method of retrofitting a robot (ROB) including a vacuum gripper to a baggage handling workspace (BHW) including the steps of: providing and mounting a robot (ROB) including a vacuum gripper to a foundation at said baggage handling workspace (BHW), wherein said robot (ROB) has an operating distance configured to reach a picking zone (LZ) and a placing zone (AOFFZ), wherein said placing zone (AOFFZ) and said picking zone (LZ) is at least partly located within said baggage handling workspace (BHW), wherein said picking zone (LZ) and said placing zone (AOFFZ) includes a fixed infrastructure station (FIS) and a mobile infrastructure station (MIS), wherein said robot (ROB) is configured for automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage (BAG) from said fixed infrastructure station (FIS) to said mobile infrastructure station (MIS) and / or from said mobile infrastructure station (MIS) to said fixed infrastructure station (FIS), providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) associated with said baggage handling workspace (BHW), and adapting an automatic lifting algorithm (LA) on the basis of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR), and wherein said robot (ROB) is configured to perform said automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage (BAG) according to said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA).

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein said adapting is an automatically adapting.

3. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapting of said automatic lifting algorithm (LA) is performed by said robot (ROB).

4. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) is provided to said robot (ROB).

5. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapting comprises selecting an automatic lifting algorithm (LA) in accordance with said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) from a list of automatic lifting algorithms (LA) each respectively targeting a specific combination of at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR).

6. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapting comprises changing one or more properties of said automatic lifting algorithm (LA) in accordance with a specific combination of one or more of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR).

7. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) comprises said automatic lifting algorithm (LA) when said robot (ROB) is provided and mounted.

8. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) comprises said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) when said robot (ROB) is provided and mounted.

9. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of adapting said automatic lifting algorithm (LA) is performed prior to said step of providing and mounting said robot (ROB).

10. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of adapting said automatic lifting algorithm (LA) is part of said step of providing and mounting said robot (ROB).

11. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is performed prior to said step of providing and mounting said robot (ROB).

12. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of providing at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is part of said step of providing and mounting said robot (ROB).

13. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein a mounting location (ML) of said robot (ROB) is based on said predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR).

14. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said mounting location (ML) is optimized according to one or more of lifting range (LR) of said robot (ROB), lateral dimension of said placing zone (AOFFZ), lateral dimensions of said picking zone (LZ), baggage dimension, baggage weight, fixed infrastructure station (FIS) properties and mobile infrastructure station (MIS) properties.

15. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is associated with said fixed infrastructure station (FIS).

16. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said fixed infrastructure station (FIS) is selected from one or more of a conveyor, a lateral, a carousel, sidewalk, baggage handling robot.

17. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is associated with said mobile infrastructure station (MIS).

18. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said mobile infrastructure station (MIS) is selected from one or more of a cart, a unit load device, a container.

19. The method according to any of the previous claims, where at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is selected from one or more fixed infrastructure station (FIS) describing properties comprising one or more of height, depth, number of sides, airport, safety regulations, country, conveyer-type, conveyingspeed, height of additional vacuum suction, location of external vacuum, additional airport robots.

20. The method according to any of the previous claims, where at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is selected from one or more mobile infrastructure station (MIS) describing properties comprising one or more of height, depth, number of sides, airline company, safety regulations, canopy, lifting range (LR) required to load the mobile infrastructure station.

21. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the number of said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) is less than 50, such as less than 40, such as less than 30, such as less than 20, such as less than 10, such as less than 5.

22. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein a distance between two conveyors is at least Im, at least 2m, at least 2.5m, at least 3m, at least 3.5m, at least 4m, at least 5m, or at least 6m.

23. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein lifting range (LR) is maximum 1.75m, 2m, 2.5m, or 3m.

24. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said distance between two conveyors is at least Im, at least 2m, at least 2.5m, at least 3m, at least 3.5m, at least 4m, at least 5m, or at least 6m and lifting range (LR) is maximum 1.75m, 2m, 2.5m, or 3m.

25. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) is mounted at said mounting location (ML) between two conveyors / laterals.

26. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) is mounted at said mounting location (ML) a distance of 0.5m, Im, or 2m of a fixed infrastructure station (FIS).

27. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) is mounted at said mounting location (ML), wherein said mounting location (ML) is located less than half the distance between two conveyors.

28. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said mounting of said robot (ROB) is a plug and play solution.

29. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said picking zone (LZ) comprises a first baggage exit and a second baggage exit.

30. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said baggage handling workspace (BHW) comprises a buffer zone (BZ).

31. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) comprises or is communicatively connected to at least one controller (CON), wherein said at least one controller (CON) comprises one or more processors (PRO) and one or more memories (MEM).

32. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said controllers (CON) is configured to execute said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA).

33. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said controllers (CON) is configured to execute a robot retrofit configuration procedure.

34. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said controllers (CON) is configured to receive said predetermined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR).

35. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot retrofit configuration procedure comprises said step of adapting said automatic lifting algorithm (LA) to provide said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA).

36. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot retrofit configuration procedure comprises determining said mounting location (ML) of said robot (ROB).

37. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said method comprises further steps of: providing updated baggage handling workspace parameter (UP AR) associated with said baggage handling workspace (BHW), and updating said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) on the basis of said updated baggage handling workspace parameter (UP AR), and wherein said robot (ROB) is configured to perform said automatic vacuum-based lifting of baggage (BAG) according to said updated adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA).

38. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) comprises one or more processors (PRO) and one or more memories (MEM), wherein said one or more memories comprise said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) and wherein said processors are configured to execute said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA).

39. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) are provided by means of a user interface (UI) and / or a communication module.

40. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) comprises said user interface (UI) and / or communication module.

41. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein the automatic lifting algorithm (LA) is preprogrammed with adaptable infrastructure parameters (AIP).

42. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) comprises a packing pattern (PP) in accordancewith at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) related to said mobile infrastructure station (MIS).

43. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) comprises a pick and place sequence in accordance with at least one predefined baggage handling workspace parameter (PPAR) related to said fixed infrastructure station (FIS) and mobile infrastructure station (MIS).

44. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) is a collaborative robot.

45. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said robot (ROB) is compliant with one or more of following standards: ISO 10218-1, ISO 10218-2, ISO 15066, ISO 12100.

46. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said gripper is a vacuum suction tool.

47. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said method of retrofitting comprises suspending a vacuum-suction arrangement in connection with said vacuum gripper.

48. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein a footprint of said collaborative robot is less than 0.16m2, 0.17m2, 0.25m2, or 0.5m2.

49. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said method of retrofitting includes a step of calibrating said vacuum-based gripper.

50. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said calibrating of said vacuum-based gripper (BVL) is done according to a height of said vacuum-based gripper.

51. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) comprises a height of said vacuum-based gripper and calibrated due to variable vacuum hose length of said vacuum-based gripper.

52. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said mounting of said robot (ROB) establish a working zone (WZ).

53. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said mounting of said robot (ROB) establish a safety zone (SZ).

54. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said controllers (CON) is configured to receive one or more sensor data from one or more sensors (SENS).

55. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said method comprises a step of retrofitting one or more sensors.

56. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein at least one said controllers (CON) is configured to determine said picking zone (LZ) and said placing zone (AOFFZ) based on input from said one or more sensors.

57. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein at least one of said controllers (CON) is configured to perform surveillance based on input from said one or more sensors (SENS) and execute a safety procedure based on said surveillance.

58. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said safety procedure comprises pausing execution of said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA).

59. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said safety procedure comprises restarting execution of said adapted automatic lifting algorithm (ALA) preferably within 2 minutes, 1 minute, 30 seconds, 15 seconds or 5 seconds after receiving a restart command.

60. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said one or more sensors (SENS) is located at the floor.

61. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said establishing of a safety zone (SZ) or working zone (WZ) is based on one or more sensor inputs.

62. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said method comprises a step of retrofitting a guiding system (GS).

63. The method according to any of the previous claims, wherein said step of retrofitting said guiding system (GS) is based on input from said one or more sensors (SENS).

64. The method according to any of the claims 62-63, wherein said guiding system (GS) comprises a visual indicator (VI) configured for showing when said mobile infrastructure station (MIS) is correctly placed according to said robot (ROB).

65. The method according to any of the claims 62-64, wherein said guiding system (GS) is retrofitted within a predetermined distance to said robot (ROB) and / or said fixed infrastructure station (FIS).

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