Legged Mobile Robot Sorting for High-Speed Laser Cut Parts
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing sorting systems for processed parts from laser cutting machines suffer from low unloading and sorting speed, leading to idle times and reduced productivity when the cutting speed exceeds the sorting capacity, resulting in bottlenecks.
Innovation Solution
A sorting system utilizing a fleet of autonomous legged mobile robots that can grip and transport parts from a workpiece to target destinations, employing various gripping techniques and a decentralized control system with sensor feedback for quality control and collaborative behavior, allowing for enhanced flexibility and speed.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If a movable gantry with robotized hands is used for sorting parts, then the system provides automated sorting capability, but the sorting speed is low and cannot keep up with high cutting speeds
Solution Approach 1:
The sorting system is divided into multiple independent mobile robots instead of a single gantry system. Each robot operates autonomously to pick and place parts, enabling parallel processing and significantly increasing overall sorting throughput to match high cutting speeds.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a fixed gantry structure to dynamic mobile robots that can move freely across the workpiece. This mobility allows robots to access different areas simultaneously and adapt their paths in real-time, maximizing sorting speed and eliminating idle waiting times.
2Adaptability or versatility
If a fixed gantry system is used, then the structure is stable and controlled, but the system lacks flexibility in handling different part configurations and failure cases
Solution Approach 1:
Each mobile robot is equipped with autonomous navigation and decision-making capabilities. The robots can independently detect part positions, plan their own paths, and handle various part configurations without requiring a complex centralized control system, thus achieving flexibility without proportional complexity increase.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses sensor feedback to dynamically adjust robot behavior parameters such as gripping force, movement speed, and path planning. This allows the robots to adapt to different part configurations, materials, and failure cases by changing operational parameters rather than requiring structural modifications.
3Reliability
If traditional gripping methods from above are used, then the gripping mechanism is simple, but the system cannot handle tilted or improperly positioned parts
Solution Approach 1:
The gripping mechanism is extended from vertical-only operation to multi-dimensional operation. Robots can approach parts from multiple directions (above, below, sides) and apply gripping forces from different orientations, enabling reliable handling of tilted or improperly positioned parts without significantly complicating the basic gripping concept.
Data Source
AI summary
In one aspect the invention relates to a sorting system (SortS) for sorting processed parts (P) from a workpiece (W), which has been processed by a laser processing machine (L), in particular a laser sheet processing machine, comprising:—A working table (WT) for supporting the workpiece (W) with the processed parts (P), which have been processed by the processing machine (L),—A fleet of interacting legged mobile robots (MR) for sorting the processed parts (P) in a collaborative manner to a target destination.