A work management device includes an operator information memory section, a work item memory section, an operator detection sections, and a work instruction section. The operator detection sections are installed at a plurality of spots of the electronic component mounting line and detect the operators near the spots. In a case in which the operator detection section detects the operator, when operator information regarding the operator is identical to operator information in the operator information memory section and the work item group of the work item memory section includes one work item or a plurality of work items which are able to be performed by the operator detected by the operator detection section, the work instruction section instructs the operator detected by the operator detection section in one work item or a plurality of work items selected from the one work item or the plurality of work items.

Various example embodiments described herein relates, to an item manipulation system that can include a control system and an end effector. The end effector can include a tube defining a channel between a first end and a second end. The tube can include, a flexible suction cup that can be disposed within the channel of the tube. In some examples, the flexible suction cup can engage a surface of the item based on suction force generated through the flexible suction cup. The end effector also includes a linear actuator that can be mechanically coupled to the flexible suction cup. The end effector can be configured to: extend, the flexible suction cup towards the second end of the channel to position at least a portion of the flexible suction cup outside the tube and retract, the flexible suction cup within the channel to position the flexible suction cup within the tube.

An information processing apparatus for determining an area of a packaged object in a packaging material to suctioned by a suction device for picking up the packaged object includes an input unit configured to input an image obtained by capturing the packaged object, and a determining unit configured to, based on a state of a surface of the packaging material regarding a degree of ease of suction in each area of the surface of the packaging material identified based on the image, determine the area to be suctioned by the suction device.

The present invention relates to a vacuum control unit that outputs an operation signal for transfer of an object depending on each internal pressure condition of a plurality of vacuum pumps in a vacuum transfer system. The control unit includes a module stack in which modules individually corresponding to each vacuum pump are assembled in a close contact manner and a control unit disposed at one side of the stack and being in signal connection with each module. Each module includes one side sensor unit configured to detect inner pressure of the vacuum pump and the other side terminal unit connected to an electronic valve configured to open and close a compressed air inlet of the vacuum pump.

Various example embodiments described herein relates, to an item manipulation system that can include a control system and an end effector. The end effector can include a tube defining a channel between a first end and a second end. The tube can include, a flexible suction cup that can be disposed within the channel of the tube. In some examples, the flexible suction cup can engage a surface of the item based on suction force generated through the flexible suction cup. The end effector also includes a linear actuator that can be mechanically coupled to the flexible suction cup. The end effector can be configured to: extend, the flexible suction cup towards the second end of the channel to position at least a portion of the flexible suction cup outside the tube and retract, the flexible suction cup within the channel to position the flexible suction cup within the tube.

A method of grasping and/or placing multiple objects by a gripper of a mobile robot. The multi-grasp method includes determining one or more candidate groups of objects to grasp by the suction-based gripper of the mobile robot, each of the one or more candidate groups of objects including a plurality of objects, determining a grasp quality score for each of the one or more candidate groups of objects, and grasping, by the suction-based gripper of the mobile robot, all objects in a candidate group of objects based, at least in part, on the grasp quality score. The multi-place method includes determining an allowed width associated with the conveyor, selecting a multi-place technique based, at least in part, on the allowed width and a dimension of the multiple grasped objects, and controlling the mobile robot to place the multiple grasped objects on the conveyor based on the selected multi-place technique.

An end effector for a picking robot, and a method of use, the end effector comprising: a body; a shaft slidably coupled to the body and extending along a longitudinal axis between a proximal end and a distal end, the shaft having a vacuum lumen extending therethrough along the longitudinal axis; a suction cup coupled to the distal end of the shaft such that an interior volume of the suction cup is in fluid communication with the vacuum lumen; a vacuum generator connected to the vacuum lumen at the proximal end of the shaft and configured to create suction therethrough; and a linear actuator configured to slide the shaft along the longitudinal axis between an extended position in which the suction cup is relatively farther from the body and a retracted position in which the suction cup is relatively closer to the body.

A detaching apparatus that detaches a target object, the detaching apparatus comprising: a plurality of adsorption portions configured to adsorb the target object; a selection unit configured to select a plurality of adsorption portions that are to execute an adsorption operation on the target object, from among the plurality of adsorption portions; an adsorption control unit configured to cause the plurality of adsorption portions selected by the selection unit to execute the adsorption operation; and a rotation control unit configured to execute a rotation operation of the adsorption portions which the adsorption operation was executed.

Methods and apparatus for controlling a robotic gripper of a robotic device are provided. The method includes activating a plurality of vacuum assemblies of the robotic gripper to grasp one or more objects, disabling one or more of the plurality of vacuum assemblies having a seal quality with the one or more objects that is less than a first threshold, assigning a score to each of the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies, reactivating the one or more disabled vacuum assemblies in an order based, at least in part, on the assigned scores, and grasping the one or more objects with the robotic gripper when a grasp quality of the robotic gripper is higher than a second threshold.

Various example embodiments described herein relates, to an item manipulation system that can include a control system and an end effector. The end effector can include a tube defining a channel between a first end and a second end. The tube can include, a flexible suction cup that can be disposed within the channel of the tube. In some examples, the flexible suction cup can engage a surface of the item based on suction force generated through the flexible suction cup. The end effector also includes a linear actuator that can be mechanically coupled to the flexible suction cup. The end effector can be configured to: extend, the flexible suction cup towards the second end of the channel to position at least a portion of the flexible suction cup outside the tube and retract, the flexible suction cup within the channel to position the flexible suction cup within the tube.