Systems and methods are provided for handling objects. One embodiment is an apparatus for handling objects. The apparatus includes a vacuum securement head. The vacuum securement head includes a strongback, and an array of end effectors arranged at the strongback in conformance with a contour. The contour is complementary to a pickup tool. The array of end effectors is configured to pickup objects at the pickup tool. The vacuum securement head also includes an impermeable membrane that is penetrated by the end effectors, and a vacuum system configured to provide suction through the end effectors. The suction is configured to remove air between the impermeable membrane and a rigid tool, and offset air leaks between the impermeable membrane and the rigid tool.

A method of manipulating boxes includes receiving a minimum box size for a plurality of boxes varying in size located in a walled container. The method also includes dividing a grip area of a gripper into a plurality of zones. The method further includes locating a set of candidate boxes based on an image from a visual sensor. For each zone, the method additionally includes, determining an overlap of a respective zone with one or more neighboring boxes to the set of candidate boxes. The method also includes determining a grasp pose for a target candidate box that avoids one or more walls of the walled container. The method further includes executing the grasp pose to lift the target candidate box by the gripper where the gripper activates each zone of the plurality of zones that does not overlap a respective neighboring box to the target candidate box.

In attachment system provided with an industrial robot having a hand movable at an arm tip, a base is attached to the hand. The base supports a plurality of suction pads such that angles of virtual suction surfaces including suction pad ends intersect each other in a hand operating space. Under control of a control device, the respective pads suction a sealing material at the respective suction surfaces, and the position and orientation of the base is controlled in the operating space such that partial suction surfaces face a designated attachment position on the object. Further, an attachment surface of the sealing material is partially attached to the designated attachment position on the object, in a state the sealing material to part of which the partial suction pads are suctioned is still faced to the designated attachment position. Such steps are repeated for the remaining attachment positions of the object.

An adaptive robot grasp planning technique for bin picking. Workpieces in a bin having random positions and poses are to be grasped by a robot and placed in a goal position and pose. The workpiece shape is analyzed to identify a plurality of robust grasp options, each grasp option having a position and orientation. The workpiece shape is also analyzed to determine a plurality of stable intermediate poses. Each individual workpiece in the bin is evaluated to identity a set of feasible grasps, and the workpiece is moved to the goal pose if such direct movement is possible. If direct movement is not possible, a search problem is formulated, where each stable intermediate pose is a node. The search problem is solved by evaluating the feasibility and optimality of each link between nodes. Feasibility of each link is evaluated in terms of collision avoidance constraints and robot joint motion constraints.

A control server controls a dual-arm robotic manipulator (DARM) for handling deformable objects in a stack. The control server receives a set of images of the stack captured by a set of image sensors, and determines a contour of the stack based the set of images. Based on the contour and historical data associated with the deformable objects in the stack, the control server determines a sequence of actions to be performed by the DARM for handling a first deformable object in the stack, and controls the DARM to handle the first deformable object by communicating a set of commands corresponding to each action in sequence of actions. The first deformable object is handled such that original form factors of the first deformable object and the remaining stack are maintained.

Systems and methods related to intelligent grippers with individual cup control are disclosed. One aspect of the disclosure provides a method of determining grip quality between a robotic gripper and an object. The method comprises applying a vacuum to two or more cup assemblies of the robotic gripper in contact with the object, moving the object with the robotic gripper after applying the vacuum to the two or more cup assemblies, and determining, using at least one pressure sensor associated with each of the two or more cup assemblies, a grip quality between the robotic gripper and the object.

A system and method for operating a transport robot to simultaneously grasp and transfer multiple objects is disclosed. The transport robot includes a multi-gripper assembly having an array of addressable vacuum regions each configured to independently provide a vacuum. The robotic system receives image data representative of a group of objects. Individual target objects are identified in the group based on the received image data. Addressable vacuum regions are selected based on the identified target objects. The transport robot is command to cause the selected addressable vacuum regions to simultaneously grasp and transfer multiple target objects.

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a debris chamber defined within the housing, and a motor assembly connected to the housing and operable to generate airflow through the debris chamber. The motor assembly includes a motor, an impeller, an impeller housing, and a controller. The impeller is connected to the motor and operable to generate airflow upon operation of the motor. The impeller housing is constructed of an electrically-conductive material. The impeller is positioned within the impeller housing. The controller includes a circuit board assembly. The circuit board assembly including a common circuit, and the impeller housing is electrically connected to the common circuit.

A vacuum cleaner includes a housing, a debris chamber defined within the housing, a motor assembly connected to the housing and operable to generate airflow through the debris chamber, and a controller communicatively coupled to the motor assembly. The motor assembly includes a motor and an impeller. The controller includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that program the processor to operate the motor to cause the impeller to generate airflow through the debris chamber, detect an alert condition, and generate a human perceptible audible alert in response to the detected alert condition.

A controller for a vacuum cleaner includes a processor and a memory. The memory includes instructions that program the processor to operate a motor at a first power level, receive a temperature of a drive component associated with the motor from a temperature sensor, and compare the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor to a first threshold temperature. The processor operates the motor at a second power level lower than the first power level for a period of time when the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor is greater than or equal to the first temperature threshold, and continues operating the motor at the first power level when the temperature of the drive component associated with the motor is less than the first temperature threshold.