Picking Robot Vacuum Retrieval for Dropped Inventory Items
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Solution Overview
Problem
In modern inventory systems, items often get dropped, misplaced, or damaged due to mishandling by robots, leading to inaccuracies in inventory management and increased costs.
Innovation Solution
A sensor system that detects dropped items and dispatches a picking robot equipped with a vacuum end effector to retrieve the items, with the robot operating in a low power mode to conserve battery life.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If a high power battery is used to operate the vacuum end effector, then the vacuum picking capability is improved, but the weight and cost of the robot increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between high power mode (when docked and charging) and low power mode (when mobile), allowing the use of a smaller battery while maintaining vacuum capability when needed
Solution Approach 2:
The vacuum end effector operates periodically - the robot docks to charge the battery, then returns to service to perform vacuum picking tasks, creating a cyclical operation pattern that manages power constraints
2Productivity
If the robot operates continuously to retrieve dropped items, then productivity is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot operates in periodic cycles of charging and working, docking at the charging station to recharge before returning to retrieve dropped items, managing energy consumption through rhythmic operation
Solution Approach 2:
The robot autonomously returns to the charging station to recharge its battery, managing its own energy needs without external intervention
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The system effectively retrieves dropped items, reduces the likelihood of damage, and minimizes the weight and cost of the picking robot by using a lower amperage battery.
Implementation Method 1
picking robot equipped with a vacuum end effector to retrieve the items
Data Source
AI summary
Embodiments describe techniques for controlling picking robots to retrieve items on the floor and return them to an appropriate location. In one embodiment, the picking robots wait until a sensor in a monitored area (e.g., a designated robot area or an area around a pick/stow station) detects a dropped item on the floor. A central control system then dispatches the picking robot to the location to retrieve the dropped item. In another embodiment, when not being dispatched, the picking robots patrol the area looking for dropped items.