Robot-Mounted Measurement Path Planning for Occluded Workpiece Picking
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Solution Overview
Problem
Robotic systems face challenges in accurately recognizing and picking up workpieces with complex shapes or mirror surfaces due to occlusion and interreflection, leading to incomplete measurement data and inefficient object manipulation.
Innovation Solution
A control apparatus and method for a robotic system that includes a pose generator, measurement path determiner, and recognizer, which dynamically adjusts the measurement device's poses and path to ensure comprehensive coverage of the measurement area, allowing for reliable recognition and efficient object manipulation by generating poses based on geometric relationships and previous measurement data.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If the measurement device uses a fixed field of view to measure objects, then the measurement process is simple and fast, but measurement data becomes incomplete when objects are occluded or have mirror surfaces
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies dynamics by making the measurement device movable rather than fixed. The measurement device is mounted on the robotic arm and can dynamically adjust its position and orientation to capture objects from multiple angles, ensuring complete measurement data even when objects are occluded or have mirror surfaces.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent transitions from a single fixed viewpoint to multi-dimensional measurement by moving the measurement device along predetermined paths in three-dimensional space. This allows the system to capture objects from multiple perspectives, resolving the issue of incomplete data from occlusion or mirror surfaces.
2Measurement precision
If the system performs 3D measurement and recognition for every object in the container, then object recognition accuracy improves, but processing time increases and throughput decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies preliminary action by pre-determining measurement paths and poses before actual measurement. The system plans the measurement sequence in advance, allowing the robotic arm to efficiently traverse predetermined paths without real-time decision-making delays, thus maintaining high accuracy while improving throughput.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent ensures continuous useful action by integrating measurement operations into the robotic arm's existing movement cycles. The measurement device captures data during the arm's natural traversal of the container, eliminating separate measurement steps and maintaining continuous productivity while ensuring complete object recognition.
3Speed
If the measurement device captures all objects in the container simultaneously, then measurement speed is high, but measurement data becomes incomplete due to occlusion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies segmentation by dividing the measurement process into multiple sequential captures from different poses rather than attempting a single comprehensive capture. The measurement device takes pictures at multiple predetermined positions and orientations, combining the data to achieve complete object recognition while maintaining efficient measurement speed.
Data Source
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AI summary
A control apparatus for a robotic system including a robot and a measurement device located on a robotic arm of the robot causes less interruption in, for example, picking up objects such as workpieces from a container. The control apparatus generates poses of the measurement device to measure an object, determines, for the measurement device, a measurement path including the poses to cause the measurement device to move along the measurement path including the poses and to measure the object, instructs the robot to move the measurement device along a movement path including the measurement path and instructs the measurement device to measure the object in the poses, recognizes the object using obtained measurement data, and determines the measurement path for the measurement device for a next operating cycle.