Bimanual Nonprehensile Robot Handling for Shelf Tote Retrieval
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional robotic manipulation methods are inefficient and labor-intensive, particularly in tasks such as moving goods within distribution centers, due to their reliance on prehensile gripping and neglect of the object's environment, which limits their applicability and efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A robotic system employing bimanual and nonprehensile manipulation techniques, utilizing two opposing arms to exert forces on objects, allowing them to tilt or shift while remaining free to move, and leveraging the environment for support and guidance during manipulation.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional prehensile gripping methods are used for robotic manipulation, then the robot can securely hold objects, but the system complexity increases due to the need for complex grippers
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the gripping function from the traditional end-effector and distributes it across the entire robotic system. The environment itself (walls, floors, ceilings) serves as the gripping surface, while distributed actuators throughout the robot body provide the holding forces, eliminating the need for complex dedicated grippers at the end of the arm.
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system is designed with multi-functional capabilities where the same robotic body and actuators can both manipulate objects directly and interact with environmental surfaces for support. The system can switch between prehensile gripping and nonprehensile environmental interaction modes, making the entire robot structure serve multiple functions rather than requiring specialized components.
2Productivity
If conventional single-arm prehensile manipulation is used, then the manipulation is straightforward to control, but the productivity and efficiency are low
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the functions of multiple robotic arms into a single coordinated system that interacts with the environment. Rather than controlling two independent arms separately, the system combines their capabilities and adds environmental interaction, creating a unified manipulation system that achieves higher productivity through coordinated multi-point contact and distributed actuation.
3Device complexity
If nonprehensile manipulation with environmental support is used, then the device complexity is reduced, but the measurement and control precision becomes more difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The system implements comprehensive feedback mechanisms that monitor the robot's own state (joint positions, actuator forces) and the environmental contact points. This feedback loop allows the control system to continuously adjust and maintain precise control over the manipulated object, compensating for the reduced direct gripping control by using environmental contact feedback.
Data Source
AI summary
A method in accordance with at least some embodiments of the present technology includes moving a robot toward a shelf carrying a tote. The method further includes nonprehensilely tilting the tote and nonprehensilely pulling the tote toward a body of the robot. The tilting and pulling occur while the tote is in contact with the shelf and while exerting a first compressive force on the tote via contact between opposing arms of the robot and respective side portions of the tote spaced apart from one another along a width of the tote. Next, the method includes repositioning the arms and prehensilely lifting the tote from the shelf while exerting a second, greater compressive force on the tote via contact between the arms and the respective side portions of the tote. Finally, the method includes carrying the tote away from the shelf via legged locomotion.