Autonomous Tray Handling Robot Rail Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Manual handling of stacked trays in line kitting operations leads to worker fatigue, injuries, and errors due to the time-consuming and labor-intensive nature of the task.
Innovation Solution
An autonomous robotic line kitting system with multiple robots operating on a single rail, each equipped with a modular tray gripper and end effector, coordinates to grasp and assemble trays efficiently, using force and moment control, and 3D cameras for precise orientation and placement, minimizing human intervention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If human workers manually handle trays, then ease of operation is maintained, but productivity is reduced and worker fatigue and injuries occur
Solution Approach 1:
The robotic system performs tray handling operations autonomously without human intervention. The robot grasps trays from source stacks, transports them along the rail, and places them on destination stacks automatically, enabling the system to serve itself and eliminating worker fatigue while maintaining high productivity
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the manual mechanical system of human workers with an automated robotic system. The robot uses a specialized end effector with fingers to grasp trays, and employs force control mechanisms to handle trays securely, substituting human physical labor with automated mechanical operations that eliminate fatigue and injury risks
2Productivity
If multiple robots operate on a single rail, then productivity increases, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges multiple robotic units onto a single shared rail infrastructure. Multiple robots operate simultaneously on the same rail, sharing common resources such as the rail structure, power supply, and control system, which increases productivity while managing device complexity through resource consolidation
Solution Approach 2:
The robotic system employs universal end effectors that can handle different tray types and configurations. The gripper mechanism is designed to accommodate various tray sizes and orientations, allowing the same robotic hardware to perform multiple functions and reducing overall system complexity despite handling diverse tray assembly requirements
3Manufacturing precision
If force control is used for precise tray placement, then manufacturing precision improves, but use of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The robot applies force control selectively during critical phases of tray placement rather than continuously. Force control is engaged when precise positioning is needed (during grasping and final placement) and relaxed during transport phases, achieving high manufacturing precision while minimizing unnecessary energy consumption from continuous force application
Data Source
AI summary
An autonomous tray handling robotic system is disclosed. In various embodiments, data indicating a set of output stacks to be assembled is stored, each output stack including an associated set of trays each of a corresponding tray type. Operation of one or more robots is controlled, each robot being configured to grasp, move, and place one or more trays at a time, according to a plan, to iteratively pick trays from source stacks of trays and assemble the set of output stacks, including by building each output stack by successively placing on the output stack trays picked from one or more corresponding source stacks. Each of the robots comprises a robotic arm and a tray handling end effector configured to grasp, move, and place one or more trays without assistance from another robot.