Dual Robotic Manipulator Supplemental Securement for Heavy Objects

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Solution Overview

Problem

Current robotic systems face challenges in securely handling and manipulating objects, especially when objects are heavy or have unusual shapes, as they often lack the necessary supplemental securement to ensure efficient pick-and-place operations and accurate orientation for scanning machine-readable symbols.

Innovation Solution

The implementation of a secondary robot manipulator that provides supplemental securement to a primary robot manipulator, allowing for temporary or permanent grasping of objects to assist in handling, positioning, and reorientation, enabling efficient pick-and-place operations and accurate scanning of machine-readable symbols.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Reliability

If a single robotic manipulator is used to grasp and manipulate objects, then the device complexity is low, but the ability to securely handle heavy or unusually shaped objects is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvesecure handling capabilityVSAvoidnumber of robotic manipulators

Core Design Contradiction:

ReliabilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines multiple robotic manipulators (primary and secondary) to work together on the same object. The primary manipulator performs main manipulation tasks while the secondary manipulator provides supplemental securement, allowing the system to handle heavy or irregularly shaped objects that a single manipulator could not secure reliably.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The secondary robotic manipulator is positioned and prepared in advance to provide supplemental securement before the primary manipulator releases the object. This preliminary positioning ensures that when supplemental securement is needed, the second manipulator is already in the correct configuration to assist immediately.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

2Ease of operation

If a robotic manipulator releases an object to reposition or perform another task, then the ease of operation improves, but the object may be dropped or mispositioned

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvemanipulator repositioning capabilityVSAvoidobject securement

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSReliability

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary robotic manipulator acts as an intermediary that temporarily assumes securement responsibility when the primary manipulator needs to reposition or perform another task. The second manipulator maintains the object in a secure state during transitions, preventing drops or mispositioning while allowing the primary manipulator to move freely.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

3Measurement precision

If the robotic manipulator needs to reorient the object for scanning, then the measurement precision improves, but the manipulation time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvescanning accuracyVSAvoidobject manipulation time

Core Design Contradiction:

Measurement precisionVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The secondary robotic manipulator is positioned in advance to provide supplemental securement during reorientation operations. This preliminary positioning allows the primary manipulator to reorient the object for scanning without worrying about securement, as the second manipulator is ready to assist immediately, reducing the total time required for reorientation and scanning operations.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The patent combines the capabilities of two manipulators where the primary manipulator focuses on precise reorientation for scanning while the secondary manipulator provides stable securement. This division of labor allows the primary manipulator to optimize its movements for achieving the correct scan orientation without compromising on securement, thereby reducing manipulation time while maintaining measurement precision.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

4Adaptability or versatility

If a robotic manipulator grasps an object with a single end effector, then the device complexity is low, but the adaptability to handle objects of varying sizes and shapes is limited

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveobject handling capabilityVSAvoidnumber of end effectors

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSDevice complexity

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines two robotic manipulators with their respective end effectors to handle objects of varying sizes and shapes. The primary end effector performs main grasping operations while the secondary end effector provides supplemental securement, creating a versatile system that can adapt to different object geometries and weight distributions without requiring each individual end effector to be highly complex.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Data Source

PatentUS11426864B2Robot manipulator system and methods for providing supplemental securement of objects

Publication Date: 2022.08.30 OCADO INNOVATION LTD

AI summary

A robotic manipulator system includes a first robotic manipulator and a second robotic manipulator configured to grasp an object. The first robotic manipulator grasps the object a first time and moves the object to the second robotic manipulator. The second robotic manipulator then grasps the object and the first robotic manipulator readjusts its position relative to the object before grasping the object a second time. One or both of the robotic manipulators then move the object a new location before releasing the object at the new location.