Adjustable Container Floor for Consistent Robotic Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing robotics systems face inefficiencies in monitoring container fullness and maintaining object levels, leading to reduced robot uptime and increased container switching frequencies, which affects the consistency and speed of object picking processes.
Innovation Solution
A system comprising a container with a lifting mechanism, sensors, and a controller that monitors and adjusts the container floor to maintain a consistent object level within the graspable zone, allowing robots to efficiently pick objects and minimize motion, while also reducing the frequency of container fill and switch operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the container is monitored using existing systems, then the fullness level can be detected, but the robot uptime is reduced and container switching frequency increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously monitors the fullness level of the container and provides feedback to the control system. When the fullness level falls below a threshold, the system automatically activates the lifting mechanism to raise the container floor, ensuring objects remain within the robot's graspable zone and maintaining continuous operation without frequent container switches
Solution Approach 2:
The container floor is made dynamically adjustable through the lifting mechanism. The floor can be raised or lowered based on the fullness level, allowing the system to adapt to changing conditions and maintain optimal object positioning for the robot throughout the container's usage cycle
2Ease of operation
If the container floor is raised to maintain object level, then objects remain within graspable zone, but the container infrastructure becomes more complex
Solution Approach 1:
The lifting mechanism serves multiple functions: it raises the container floor to maintain object levels within the graspable zone, and it can also lower the floor to enable complete emptying of the container. This multi-functionality justifies the added infrastructure by providing both operational consistency and maintenance capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically monitors and adjusts the container floor level without requiring external intervention. The control system receives fullness level data from sensors and autonomously activates the lifting mechanism when needed, making the system self-regulating and reducing the need for complex external control infrastructure
3Manufacturing precision
If sensors continuously monitor fullness level, then object level can be maintained, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of continuous monitoring, the system uses periodic sensing triggered by specific events. The fullness level is monitored at key moments such as when the robot completes a picking cycle or when the container is approached, reducing energy consumption while still maintaining sufficient data to adjust the floor level for consistent object positioning
Data Source
AI summary
The system can include: a container no, a set of sensors 120, and a controller 130. The system can optionally include a robot 140. However, the system 100 can additionally or alternatively include any other suitable set of components. The system functions to monitor and/or maintain a fullness level of a container. The system can additionally or alternatively function to enable robotic picking out of the container (e.g., in a pick-and-place setting). The system can additionally function to maintain candidate objects within reach of the robot's end effector to increase robot uptime while minimizing the extent of the robot's required motion (e.g., in the z-axis).