The presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a robotic arm grabbing device and to methods of making and the using the same.
There is currently a large push among tech and supply chain companies to automate the distribution centers utilized by companies like Amazon® and Walmart®. Currently, no current design has yet mastered the art of successfully selecting an item and dropping the selected item into a bin with a sufficiently high degree of accuracy and reliability. If such a feat can be achieved, it will be the final piece in the puzzle to largely automate many distribution centers.
There are currently several different options conventionally used for grasping items. First, traditional pincer designs are similar to the well-known toy machine where a claw attached to a crane grasps a desired item. The design can two or more pincers. However, these designs rely on very sophisticated spatial analysis hardware/software, and have a difficult time grabbing items in a messy pile or in tight spaces. In addition, the design has difficulty grasping oddly shaped items (e.g., items that are not conventionally square or rectangular).
Suction grabbers are also well known and rely on an ultra-flexible nozzle tip that exerts a vacuum force on a desired item after the nozzle contacts and presses against the item. However, suction grabbers can only grab items with a surface sufficiently smooth to allow the nozzle tip to create a vacuum when it contacts the item. It also requires very sophisticated spatial analysis hardware/software.
Further, octopus grabbers rely on an inflatable (e.g., octopus tentacle shaped) pincer that can flexibly modify its change its shape to grab an item. However, the total grabbing force can be limited in the octopus grabber design. In addition, the design has difficulty reaching tight spaces and is limited in the number of differing item shapes it can pick up.
It would therefore be beneficial to provide a grabbing device that overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a device comprising multiple pins that exert a physical force to grab an item. The physical force can be pressure, suction, or combinations thereof.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a device for grabbing an item. Specifically, the device comprises an arm that can be moved relative to a base. The base comprises an array of pins configured to extend a length away from the base to contact the item to be grabbed. Once the pins contact the item to be grabbed, they cease extending away from the base. At least one axis of movement for the item is controlled by the device. More than one pin is configured to extend further than a minimum axis to contact the item.
In some embodiments, the device includes at least 2 pins.
In some embodiments, the device includes about 15-200 pins.
In some embodiments, the pins are flexible.
In some embodiments, all of the pins are parallel relative to each other.
In some embodiments, at least one pin is angled relative to at least one other pin.
In some embodiments, the pins are configured to move toward and away from the item to be grabbed.
In some embodiments, each pin is configured to press, bend, curve, or combinations thereof in one or more directions.
In some embodiments, the arm, base or both the arm and base are configured to move toward or away from the item to be grabbed while the pins remain stationary.
In some embodiments, the device is configured to locate the item by measuring a depth of at least one pin to create a 3D field and analyzing a depth measure using hardware or software.
In some embodiments, the device is configured to use a database of information related to size, shape, and weight of the item to be picked up to allow the device to find and grasp the item.
In some embodiments, the device includes an end cap that allows an attached sole to rotate around an axis, thereby providing a gripping force.
In some embodiments, the sole comprise foam or a sponge comprising compression that provides grabbing force and a gripping force.
In some embodiments, a larger arch provides more gripping force per angle of rotation, and a smaller arch provides less gripping force per angle of rotation.
In some embodiments, the presently disclosed subject matter is directed to a method of grabbing an item. Specifically, the method comprises positioning the disclosed device adjacent to an item to be grasped. The method includes extending one or more pins toward the item until they contact the item, such that a mechanical force is exerted on the device, whereby friction is used to grab the item.
In some embodiments, friction and contact by one or more angled pins are used to grab the item.
In some embodiments, the one or more pins bend around an exterior of the item.
In some embodiments, the bendable pins include memory metal.
In some embodiments, the one or more angled pins slide under or behind the item and apply a force on the item.
In some embodiments, two devices are positioned on either side of an item to be grabbed, such that the pins on each device contact the item.
The presently disclosed subject matter is introduced with sufficient details to provide an understanding of one or more particular embodiments of broader inventive subject matters. The descriptions expound upon and exemplify features of those embodiments without limiting the inventive subject matters to the explicitly described embodiments and features. Considerations in view of these descriptions will likely give rise to additional and similar embodiments and features without departing from the scope of the presently disclosed subject matter.
Unless defined otherwise, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood to one of ordinary skill in the art to which the presently disclosed subject matter pertains. Although any methods, devices, and materials similar or equivalent to those described herein can be used in the practice or testing of the presently disclosed subject matter, representative methods, devices, and materials are now described.
Following long-standing patent law convention, the terms “a”, “an”, and “the” refer to “one or more” when used in the subject specification, including the claims. Thus, for example, reference to “a device” can include a plurality of such devices, and so forth. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises,” “comprising,” “includes,” and/or “including” when used herein specify the presence of stated features, integers, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.
Unless otherwise indicated, all numbers expressing quantities of components, conditions, and so forth used in the specification and claims are to be understood as being modified in all instances by the term “about”. Accordingly, unless indicated to the contrary, the numerical parameters set forth in the instant specification and attached claims are approximations that can vary depending upon the desired properties sought to be obtained by the presently disclosed subject matter.
As used herein, the term “about”, when referring to a value or to an amount of mass, weight, time, volume, concentration, and/or percentage can encompass variations of, in some embodiments+/−20%, in some embodiments+/−10%, in some embodiments+/−5%, in some embodiments+/−1%, in some embodiments+/−0.5%, and in some embodiments +/−0.1%, from the specified amount, as such variations are appropriate in the disclosed packages and methods.
As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items.
Relative terms such as “below” or “above” or “upper” or “lower” or “horizontal” or “vertical” may be used herein to describe a relationship of one element, layer, or region to another element, layer, or region as illustrated in the drawing figures. It will be understood that these terms and those discussed above are intended to encompass different orientations of the device in addition to the orientation depicted in the drawing figures.
The embodiments set forth below represent the necessary information to enable those skilled in the art to practice the embodiments and illustrate the best mode of practicing the embodiments. Upon reading the following description in light of the accompanying drawing figures, those skilled in the art will understand the concepts of the disclosure and will recognize applications of these concepts not particularly addressed herein. It should be understood that these concepts and applications fall within the scope of the disclosure and the accompanying claims.
As set forth in detail below, the disclosed Kilo-Pin grabbing device can easily and efficiently be used to grab a variety of items of various shapes and sizes. It should be appreciated that items human hands have issues with (such as a tightly packed box of uniform boxes) are best picked up by the suction method. Thus, having a suction device on hand as a second method of grabbing an item may be beneficial.
The disclosed grabbing design is loosely based on a similar basic concept to the popular pin screen toy 1 shown in
The grabbing device can include any number of pins 15 (e.g., 2 or more). For example, the device can include at least about (or no more than about) 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, 150, 200, 250, 300, 350, 400, 450, 500, or more pins. Each pin can include any cross-sectional shape (such as circular, oval, square, triangular, rectangular, and the like). The pins can be constructed from any desired material (e.g., plastic, metal, wood) and be configured in any shape. In some embodiments, pins can be flexible (e.g., able to change shape and bend). In some embodiments, multiple devices can be used simultaneously to grab an item. For example, two Kilo-Pin devices can be configured to face each other and move like traditional pincers.
In some embodiments, pins 15 are all parallel relative to each other. However, the disclosed Kilo-Pin device can also include embodiments where one or more pins are angled relative to one or more other pins (e.g., some pins can be parallel while other pins are angled). The term “angled” means non-parallel and can include an angle of at least about (or no more than about) 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, or 180 degrees.
In use, the Kilo-Pin device moves an array of pins towards an item to be grasped. Once close, the pins extend until the necessary length of extension is reached to be able to grab the item without applying too much force to cause damage to the item. The Kilo-Pin device can also move rearward relative to the item to be picked up, while the pins stay stationary, or any combination of movements between the device and the individual pins both relative to each other and the item to be picked up. Thus, the pins and/or device can move to ensure that enough pins are close enough in depth relative to the item to be picked up, allowing at least one pin to contact the item. Once this step is achieved, at least one axis of movement for the item is controlled by the Kilo-Pin device. Additionally, a 3d field can be generated, letting the machine know where the item to be grabbed is located relative to the Kilo-Pin device by measuring the depth of at least one pin and analyzing that information with hardware/software. The overall system can use a database of all of the information related to size, shape, and weight of the items to be picked up. The data can be referenced to help find and grasp the item. The key for this to work is that more than one pin needs to have extended further than the minimum axis to be able to grab the item in single kilo-pin grabber designs. An example is shown in
At this point, there are at least three methods for completing the grasping action. First, the pins that are next to or very close to the item 10 and have extended at least far enough to reach the minimum depth for grabbing exert a mechanical force inward towards the item by moving, as shown in
Second, at least one pin 15′ comes in at an angle that is not parallel to the rest of the pins, as shown in
Third, the pins that are next to the item and have achieved at or greater than the minimum depth for grabbing, then bend or curve inwards towards the item 10 creating both a grabbing force against the item and gaining an angular mechanical advantage to restrict the items movement (e.g., grab the item), as shown in
In some embodiments, each pin can press, bend, and/or curve in multiple directions. Alternatively, each pin can press, bend, and/or curve in a limited number of directions (with the minimum being 1). Since there will be many pins that are close enough to item 10, even if less than all of the pins close enough to the item to be grabbed are able to press, bend, or curve towards the item being grabbed, there are still enough pins for the item to be picked up.
There are numerous advantages of the Kilo-Pin device over other grabber designs. The majority of the item location detection and grasping motion are very quick, accurate and low tech relative to today's standards. The majority of the grabbing action is done by the same action as the item location mechanism. While a simple digital camera can help identify the general area the Kilo-Pin device should go, it is not necessary, so advanced sensors and/or arrays for analyzing where an item is in a 3d space relative to the grabber are not necessary. High precision for the initial contact with the item is also not necessary.
The Kilo-Pin device can also grab items that are in much tighter spaces than regular pincers, while also creating much more surface area contact between the grabber and the item 10 than other designs on average, increasing the success rate of the item grab. With many of these designs, there are significantly more axis of control contact points in many more directions than other existing designs.
Once the item is grabbed, and presumably moved to the desired location, the Kilo-Pin device releases the item, and the Kilo-Pin device moves on to the next task. To release the item, the different designs have slightly different methods, but they are all similar.
1) The pins that were applying the appropriate force to the item cease applying that force, releasing the item.
2) The pin that came in at an angle not parallel to the other pins retracts, thus releasing the item.
3) The pins that curved, straighten back out, releasing the item.
As described above, although several embodiments of the present invention have been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions, and substitutions are possible without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims.
The present application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Patent Application Nos. 63/306,448 and 63/306,894, filed Feb. 3, 2022, and Feb. 4, 2023, respectively, the entire content of which are incorporated by reference herein.
Number | Date | Country | |
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63306448 | Feb 2022 | US | |
63306894 | Feb 2022 | US |